Ghosts of the Past
by Murmurs in the Wind
Summary: Danzo becomes the Fifth Hokage, and Naruto is betrayed, thrown into the world ignorant and weak, fighting his grief of those that died. Now years later, he is set on the task of finding peace, saving Konoha from a mad man, protecting the girl he loved, and fighting the red dawn that threats all. (Mature Naruto and Sakura)(Gradually Powerful Naruto)
1. A Foreboding Feeling

**_Hiya! I would like to welcome you to my story._**

 ** _I hope you enjoy it._**

 ** _So, I would like to point out first that I'm a self-taught writer, so some of the stuff that looks weird might just be stuff that I thought worked in that context. Just obvious stuff that makes no sense is just me being a bad editor, though. You decide which is which._**

 ** _Well, I won't keep you much longer, just don't forget to leave a review and, most importantly, enjoy!_**

* * *

 ** _Ghosts of the Past_**

 _ **Chapter 1: A Foreboding Feeling**_

* * *

 ** _— Konohagakure —_**

The sight of Konoha's gate was always a sight to see—a sight to stop and just look at. It loomed over the treetops like a giant, protectively protecting what laid behind it. The faded green color of it was a sharp contrast to the red kanji for fire painted in the center of the two doors. Today the gates were closed, seeing as how it was raining fat droplets of water from chubby grey clouds. The pale tan of the walls was an impressive site in its own way; with its tall stature and thickness. Several green roofed high towers lined the top of the wall, going all along the semicircle spread half a hundred meters apart. The cobblestone path they followed had a dark, sickly grey color to it from the rain, like it had caught a cold.

His group stood in front of the gate as it slowly slid against the cobble to open, the kanji split down the middle as the door folded. The wooden giant made a long and reluctant grinding groan as it opened. The gate was special in that it had to be opened from the inside by chakra and by several large amounts of chakra too. If you looked close enough on the old wood, then you could find multiple barrier seals that had been put into place by the Shodai Hokage. He had no clue how it worked, but that was just something he had learned when he had actually listened in the academy. "Damn, I never thought I would see this place again." Tsunade Senju remarked from under her hood as she watched the crack between the door as it slowly gave a look into the city behind it.

He looked at her on his left. "Well, get used to it, you're Hokage now," Jiraiya said behind him and to the right a bit. His voice was weary and tired, but there was almost a mocking tone to it. Tsunade sighed, looking at him and giving him a look that said, "L _ook what you got me into brat!"_ The best he could manage was a sheepish grin. A sudden stab of pain shocked his system and made him wince. Tsunade frowned, then looked over his shoulder at Jiraiya, who most likely saw his wince too. "Can we please get out of this rain, Tsunade-sama!?" Shizune asked, completely engulfed by a large cloak they had bought on their way home (it was the only size the merchant had.), but shivering like a tree in the wind. "Oink!" Tonton seemed to be pleading as well from underneath the cloak and wrapped in Shizune's arms.

The gate finished its opening with a loud final sigh, locking into place and giving a view of the village it kept behind it. "Jiraiya-sama!" Two shinobi ran out to them and on the way seemed to notice Tsunade, "Tsunade-sama, too!" He recognized the voices as the two ever present gate guards — what were their names again? He didn't remember. Oh well, he didn't care right at the moment. Another shock of pain vined through his system and almost made him cry out, but he settled with biting his inner cheek and clamping a hand on his shoulder. "I've brought the next Hokage. Now, where is the closest bar?" He asked like he didn't know the answer, almost pushing Tsunade forward but then remembering who he was going to be pushing.

The question about the bar seemed to hang in the air still, though. It was a perplexing thing to him as to _why_ Jiraiya would want to drink again after the drugs that Tsunade had slipt into his drink not even two weeks ago. The question was pushed underneath the water droplets and sent to the ground with a splat at the looks on the two's faces. "I think that's going to have to wait, Jiraiya. What is it you two?" The two looked at each other, almost telepathically arguing on who would talk. One spoke after but a moment of battle—whether from losing or just giving up, he didn't know. "The Gondaime has been chosen while you two were away." The two legendary Sannin sucked in hard takes of breath, and he was only confused. Wasn't the whole point of bringing Tsunade back was so she could be Hokage?

"Who got chosen?" Jiraiya asked, almost seeming to know the answer himself. A cold deadbeat passed, "Danzo-sama was chosen by the Fire Daimyo only a few days ago." It was almost like the two Sannin had seen a murder right in front of them by the way their skin went pale—well, paler than what the cold rain had turned it to. They didn't even look at each other, but you could _see_ that they knew the other was aware of what the other planned to do. Tsunade marched off into the village not a second later. Shizune followed, passing him and getting on Tsunade's heels, whispering something to Tsunade as her huge cloak flapped in the wind.

Jiraiya placed a hand on his shoulder, which was luckily not his bad one. He looked to his master's face and could not find the goofy perv that he had come to see every time he looked into that face. He looked up at a Sannin now, and he knew that the situation was something grave. "Who's Danzo?" The words left his lips before he even thought of them. He had the habit of that. A deep pool of confusion and anticipation filled him. Jiraiya shook his head and crouched down to his level, reminding him just how short he was and how tall his master was. "Go find Kakashi, Naruto….He can do the same to you as he did with Sasuke after what happened to his shoulder." There was no other option _but_ to nod his head. He felt small and like a child now, he hated it. Soon his master was standing and walking toward the village, too, cloak fluttering and billowing. Purpose was in his step, and nothing looked like it could stop him.

It was only when Naruto crossed the line into the village did his past month fall onto him. All that had happened seemed to be let off of the lift that had held it above his head and come crashing down all at once. His shoulder throbbed, and his heart beat loudly in his eardrums like a war drum. All he wanted was sleep…and ramen. He just couldn't decide what he wanted first. It seemed Ramen won out as he sat on the high seat at the bar of Ichiraku's. Ayame had immediately seen him on his entering through the hanging cloth. Within seconds he was slurping noodles into his mouth with concerned brown eyes watching him. The noodles settled inside his stomach, and the broth warmed his body, which had made him realize that he had been cold. As he was digging in Gama-chan, Ayame told him that it was on the house and asked if he wanted another. He turned it down. It was a strange thing, he knew, but he wanted to sleep, and the warmth of the broth only brought the weight of being cold onto his weary shoulders.

The warmth of the broth was gone when he stood in front of Kakashi's door. He reached up an arm and knocked, making a hollow sound on the other side of the door. A few heartbeats passed, and then a few seconds, then a whole minute. He turned his back and only then did the inside return a sound, the sound of a chain being undone from a catch. The door opened, and he was halfway back to being turned around toward the door again. "Naruto?" Kakashi's single open eye seemed to be even droopier than when he was fully awake. "Hi, sensei...I was told to show you this." It was no use dancing around why he was here. He removed his cloak—it felt like he was removing hundreds of pounds off his shoulder—and pulled his jumpsuit collar over so it showed his shoulder and neck. Kakashi's eye widened, even the other one seemed to open slightly, showing a hint of red, but for only a few moments did Kakashi show his surprise. The wooden door was pulled back, and darkness filled its place. "Come inside," Naruto reached down to get his cloak, "Forget that." Naruto paused command. He did as told and walked inside, leaving the cloak to soak the floor. The darkness of the room lasted but a moment after Kakashi closed the door, muffling the outside rain.

The single apartment light flashed on, flickered like lightning, then remained lit. "You don't like spending money do you?" Naruto asked as he looked around the apartment. There was no way a jonin wouldn't have a nice place. Well, maybe if they spent it on booze and whores and expensive stuff, but as far as vices went, Kakashi just read a smutty little book. "Being orphaned will do that to you," Kakashi said, knowing all too well that Naruto understood. It wasn't the same with him, though; not having a lot of money would've made him _want_ to spend it if he was bloody fuckin' rich. "Stand over there and take off your jacket," Kakashi ordered as two bunshin worked on the floor with a brush and a bottle of ink. Naruto had missed their spawning, but he wasn't the most observant of people, so he didn't care if he missed something so insignificant. It took a few minutes for the circle to be completed, and Naruto felt like it was a never-ending amount of time.

While he was waiting, he looked in the mirror that was mounted on Kakashi's closet door. He looked haggard with his water matted pale-yellow hair, placid and milk-white skin, hollow and faded blue eyes with dark bags beneath them. He looked at his shoulder closely, finding the onyx black of the seal a huge contrast to his usually tan skin. The three tomoe swirled around each other in a spiral, glowing a heated red every once in awhile. The seal pulsed, shocking his body and making him cover the seal. One large hand covered his other bare shoulder, and another covered Naruto's clasped hand. Naruto's eyes shot to Kakashi's single one in the reflection of the mirror. "Kneel," Kakashi commanded, the clones gone in a fine grey cloud that lingered just long enough for you to notice they had popped.

He knelt to the ground, placing both legs flush against the wood and sitting on the balls of his feet. The clones had made a complex circular formula around where he sat. Moments after sitting down he felt the cold touch of liquid on his back and the touch of tips of two fingers. Only when Kakashi came around to do his arm and chest did he see that it was blood that was being used to mark him. The fresh wound on Kakashi's hand looked deep and bothersome, but it seemed it didn't bother the jonin. A stray droplet streaked down his back and made him shiver. Kakashi looked at his face as he looked down at his hands in his lap. He clenched and unclenched them nervously. "This might feel a bit, uh...painful." Kakashi gave him an eye smile and moved behind him again. Naruto looked at the black drying ink closely as he heard Kakashi's fast sign weaving behind him. The seal glowed and shined with a blue light that leapt off the ink and formed high towers of light. The seals moved and converged upward on his body like ink snakes, conjoining at the juncture between neck and shoulder. He could feel the chakra's start fighting and then Kakashi placed his hand over the seal between his shoulder and neck. The seals glowed even stronger and then all Naruto felt was pain. Over the blinding pain, he heard the faint murmur of, "Seal."

Then all was nothingness.

* * *

 ** _— Several Days Later —_**

If he had a favorite thing to do, it would be sleep— _Oh!_ —And eat ramen, but right now, sleep was better than eating. He reluctantly returned to consciousness and regretted it the instant he could even think. _Shit!_ His body burned and convulsed with every beat of his heart. The light that violated his eyelids was like an annoying child; insistent and determined to bother him. Even when he opened his eyes did the light persist, almost screaming at him to wake up. Shifting away so that his back was blocking the light from the window, he sighed. The lights streamed long fingers into his room and wrapped around his body and created a shadow of his idle form on his wooden floor, stretched to make him seem larger than he actually was. The thin tendrils moved the darkness away to show him his room.

His mind did not remember what had happened after Kakashi's, but it was pretty easy to guess that he had been brought here after the sealing. He laid like that for a while, watching as the shadow became longer and longer until it reached to shadows on the other side of his room. Another shadow overtook his own, stretching across his floor like a giant monster. Despite wanting to ignore whoever it was, his curiosity got to him. He turned back to his window and shielded his eyes. Squinting, he was able to make out the face of his teacher, whose face was framed by bright spikes of light that made his already spiky bangs even more ridiculous. Despite the brightness around him, Jiraiya did not look happy. In fact, he looked angry, almost to the point of fury. "What?" Naruto asked, pushing off his bed with a forearm, still squinting and trying to find the right angle to put his hand for maximum blockage of those damned rays of light! A cloud seemed to take pity on his plight and luckily this one hadn't pissed all its rain away during the rain. The fat grey cloud created a perfect cover over the sun, giving his eyes a much-needed rest from the light. He finally dropped down his arm and un-squinted his eyes. Adjusting to the little amount of light.

Jiraiya shrugged, "Don't worry about it, brat." Jiraiya stepped from the outside rooftop and onto his bed, making it bounce and creak and squeal from the added weight. Jiraiya stepped over Naruto and onto the hard wooden floor, creating a groaning noise of protest from the floor boards. Naruto grunted and turned to face Jiraiya again, "Well, what about Tsunade? Is she Hokage now?" Jiraiya face turned solemn and withdrawn, making Naruto frown. "No, she isn't," It was a clipped reply and once it was said, Naruto couldn't get the sound of how _devastated_ his master sounded out of his mind. Naruto sat up fully and turned, placing his bare feet against the rough and cold floorboards. "Oh...well, who is Danzo anyway?" Naruto asked, looking his master straight in the eye, his feelings calm. Something had changed in Naruto Uzumaki over the past few weeks. It was small, but for Jiraiya...

 _It was like looking into the eyes of the Yondaime Hokage himself._

Jiraiya shifted, "What happened to you, Naruto?" Jiraiya asked, a bit uncomfortable about his students sudden draw to intensity and maturity. The swallowing seas were blocked when Naruto blinked, but reappeared moments later, confused. Naruto shrugged, "I don't know, but...I guess I haven't had time to goof off lately." Naruto shrugged his shoulders then placed a hand on his chin, thinking. Jiraiya shook his head, "No...I think you grew up a little." He should've said _a lot_ , but it didn't come out like that for some reason. Naruto hummed, "I think I've realized that I can't be a kid forever when the old man died." Naruto said as he lowered his hand from his chin, saddened by the memory. "Fighting Gaara helped too, and maybe even fighting Neji," Naruto added after he shook his head. Jiraiya nodded slowly, "What about fighting Orochimaru?" _Twice._ Jiraiya thought in astonishment. Not many shinobi could live up to that feat. Naruto visibly cringed, unconsciously placing a hand over the seal. "I don't know...Do you think this seal had anything to do with me changing?" Naruto queried, ignoring his question and looking at him with big pools of blue.

"No," _Yes_. Naruto nodded, albeit slowly—almost not believing him. "So, what's happened since i've been out?" He asked, changing the subject. Jiraiya sighed like all the event had come back to him like a flood, "Not much, but I have a feeling that after today a lot will change." Naruto stood then, "My team?" He asked as he walked past Jiraiya and to his closet. Jiraiya turned his body as his eyes watched his student the whole time. "Kakashi has been busy—with what? I don't know." He shrugged, "The Uchiha is in the hospital still, along with the girl, who's barely left his side." Naruto nodded, knowing his team's usual behavior. Jiraiya could see the decision the boy made up in his mind. Just then he remembered something."Oh, yeah, I forgot to mention—" Naruto's very, _very_ loud groan literally stopped his sentence. "Where's my jumpsuit!?" Yes, a _singular_ jumpsuit. Could you imagine wearing the same thing day in day out? Well, Naruto did— _had._ Jiraiya chuckled and rubbed his nose with his thumb, "Kakashi decided to do you a favor." He had done it in truth, but why not lie and blame it on someone else when it could turn out to be beneficial in the end? You know, just in case it all turned out well and not the _complete_ opposite. Jiraiya definitely didn't blame Kakashi to save his own skin. Definitely.

Naruto was rolling on the floor crying when Jiraiya decided to stop the poor boy's grieving. "Listen, i'll buy you new clothes, so stop being a child." Naruto spring up to his feet, fire in his eyes and a clenched fist raised up in a vow of vengeance. "No! I need my jumpsuit back!" Jiraiya internally chuckled, having already burned the abomination. On the outside, though, he shrugged, "At least for now you can find something else to wear." He hoped this worked. If not, well, he hoped Kakashi gave as little shits as he showed; because Naruto had a reason to actually hate his other teacher now. Naruto relaxed somewhat, frowned, and glared at the floor like it was Kakashi himself, then nodded after he finished. "Fine," He agreed with a pout.

The two were walking around the village next, looking for a place to buy new clothes. Naruto was basically in his pajamas; a way too big black shirt and grey sweatpants. Today Konoha held a sodden and sober mood, but some held expressions of hope for the new Hokage. It seemed the newly elected Kage was either hated or loved, there seemed to be no in between. "When will I get to see the Hokage?" Naruto asked, looking away from a group who chatted enthusiastically about Danzo. Jiraiya frowned, _Hopefully not very soon._ "At the inauguration ceremony with everyone else." A foreboding and haunting feeling formed in Jiraiya's stomach. A feeling that _knew_ Danzo wasn't going to treat Naruto the same as everyone else. He placed a hand on his student's shoulder, stopping the boy. To Naruto, it was just a touch that told him they had arrived, but to Jiraiya, it was a protective reassurance that Naruto couldn't be taken away from him that easily. He was a Sannin after all. "I'll buy your clothes, pick anything you want—except something orange!" Naruto groaned and walked into the store, his shoulders slumped. Jiraiya watched the sulking Jinchuuriki go, not truly knowing what was going to happen to him, but knowing that with Danzo in power, _something would eventually happen_.

Naruto scanned the shop with an astonished expression, a little overwhelmed by everything the place had to offer. Ninja weapons and clothing lined every wall and were laid out on shelves and hung up on racks for all to see. There was some expensive shit here, too. Naruto turned and looked at his perverted sensei as he walked in after him, "What's the catch?" He asked with a suspicious glare. Jiraiya looked momentarily surprised, but then remembered he had sort of made himself out as a cheapskate with stealing Naruto's money before. Jiraiya waved his hand in dismissal of the accusation, embarrassed. "Nothing, nothing." He turned suddenly sober, a flustered grin finding its way onto his face. "Listen, I think we got on the wrong foot on the whole money subject. I'm not that greedy." Naruto looked skeptical, turning around and murmuring a mocking, "Riiiiight." Jiraiya chuckled, "I'll make it up to you?" He hinted lamely, embarrassed by Naruto's lazy dismissal of the subject. Naruto didn't answer; instead, he walked farther into the shop and started to go through all the clothes. Jiraiya sighed. Why were kids so annoying?

After some time, Naruto was able to suit himself to some new clothes. He fitted himself with a black long sleeved shirt with a wide collar that showed his collar bones. Over that he wore a light, almost white-grey jacket with short sleeves that only went to the elbow, meaning the black shirt covered his forearms and almost his hands. On the sleeves and shoulders of the jacket were navy blue stripes that ran the length of them and on the back was the red swirl that almost every Konoha ninja wore. For pants, he settled with a deep grey pair of baggy pants that were ended short by white bandages that went from the tops of his black sandals all the way up almost the entirety of his shins. The blue cloth of his headband was replaced with a black one, and the headgear was tied loosely around his neck, covering some of his collar bones.

Jiraiya stood back and had a shit-eating grin on his face, nodding to himself in some sort of satisfaction, "Well, I gotta say, kid; Never thought you had it in you." Naruto gave him a confused expression from the reflection of the mirror he was looking in, "Never have what?" He asked, severely lost. Jiraiya laughed, slapping a hand on his back a little too roughly for his taste, "The potential to be a lady killer." Realization dawned on him, and he blushed like the kid he was, "B-but I didn't do anything but change clothes!?" He was confused. "The clothes make the man, my student." Jiraiya's grin got even bigger, if that was possible, "It helps that you've been growing your hair out." Jiraiya pointed out, giving his back another slap and ruffling the aforementioned head of hair. It was getting long, longer that he usually let it get. "I haven't had time to cut it." Naruto protested, shrinking away from the boisterous pervert. "Well don't, brat. It's a known fact that women like long hair." As if to prove his very questionable point, he shook his head to move his long hair like a tail of an animal. Naruto shivered. He hoped someone told him to stop before he ever got his hair that long; if he ever became a delusional pervert obsessed with boobs and ass.

"Let's get going, kid."

After paying, the two walked the streets again. Jiraiya hadn't even blinked at the amount that would've made a huge dent in Naruto's wallet. High-class gear would do that. "What now?" Naruto asked, looking up at the recovering sky. The large fat grey clouds had withered down into pale grey pieces of cotton. A pale blue was finally able to be seen through the thinner clouds and the sun's light clawed it was through to create long tendrils of light that sprayed itself all over. "Training," Jiraiya said, looking around and grinning at all the looks Naruto was getting. The boy was oblivious as he looked at the sky. _He not even watching where he's going, but he's moving as if he is._ Was Naruto a sensory-type? Jiraiya filed the information away for later, not busying himself with the thought. Naruto looked down from the sky and looked at him with a grin, "Sweat! What are you going to teach me next!? If it's like the Rasengan, then i'm game!" Jiraiya laughed, glad Naruto was excited to learn. "No, not really, but it's something." His smile faded as he looked his student in those big blue eyes, "On top of that, I want to teach you to control that seal if it ever gets out of control." Naruto nodded at Jiraiya's seriousness, reaching up and covering the place with his hand, which was barely concealed by his headband and shirt.

The two went to the same training ground Naruto became a genin on. Naruto looked around the area with a nostalgic feeling in his stomach. "Now, I wanted to see if we could come up with a way to increase your learning ability, but reduce the time it takes for you to learn new things." The sky was almost clear and the sun was caressing them with warm rays of light. "Any ideas?" Naruto asked as he laid down on the grass to look at the sky, hands behind his head as a pillow. Jiraiya made a humming sound deep in his throat. "The only thing I can think of is if there was some way for us to slow time." Naruto chuckled, "Yeah, right, let's stop time itself." Naruto said sarcastically, he suddenly shouted, "Hey! That cloud looks like a Kage Bunshin!" He pointed at the cloud, and Jiraiya looked up what would have to be a very specific cloud. He looked at it then back at his student, a look on his face. "Yeah, one being dispersed." All clouds nearly looked like that, though. "No, you can see an arm and a bit of the head." He turned his head a bit like the new angle would help his point. Jiraiya decided to let his student look at the clouds more as he racked his brain for a solution to their problem. _Kage Bunshin…_ "Naruto, you beautiful genius!" An ear to ear grin nearly split his face in half.

Naruto was confused but said nothing. Jiraiya laughed out loud like he had just won a date with a hot chick. "Don't you get it, kid!? _Kage Bunshin_!" Naruto sat up, frowning. "The only thing I see the Kage Bunshin being useful in that regard was to transfer the memories, but I don't see how something so simple could…" It seemed the dots were connected. Naruto shot to his feet, "No way!" Jiraiya nodded enthusiastically. "See?" Naruto laughed, "I guess I didn't realize that something I had known all along could be used like this!" He had first found out about the Kage Bunshin memory transfer in his fight with Mizuki. It was the very first time he had been bombarded with that many memories that he almost passed out from the overload. Now, he had gotten so used to it he didn't even think about it, just letting the memories be filed away. "With your amount of chakra and endurance, this training could times your training by the hundreds." You could see all the ideas turning around in the Old Sannin's mind. Jiraiya nodded to himself, "I can also see to that certain problem you have." Jiraiya said, placing a hand on his chin. Naruto blinked, narrowing his eyes. "And what would that be?" He asked, almost not wanting to know the answer. Jiraiya shook his head, "Just a little bit of that stupidity."

"Hey!"

* * *

 _ **— Hours Later —**_

The area around the Hokage tower was filled, literally. There were no spots to get close to the tower. The roads and roofs were flooded by people. The walls held special seats for shinobi who decided to stick out from the buildings horizontally. Naruto looked over the crowd from a spot on a rooftop, his spot was barely suitable for why he was here. He had insisted that he saw Danzo himself. He didn't want to stop training, but he needed to see the man who was going to be his Hokage. The crowd erupted in a sudden flux of noise, and Naruto strained his eyes to look the distance from his spot to the top of the tower. He was disappointed to see only a blur of color, one that gave no real definitive features. "Well?" Jiraiya asked, looking down at him with stony eyes. "I couldn't see him," Naruto said, looking at the shingles underneath his feet. Jiraiya nodded, "It's not every day a new Hokage comes into office." Jiraiya unfolded his arms, placing them at his sides. He bit his lower lip, "I'm sure you will meet him soon enough." Jiraiya reassured, placing a hand on his shoulder. Naruto nodded as he looked on at the place where the new Hokage was being inaugurated. Danzo was saying something, but it was indistinguishable from here. "Come, Naruto. We need to get back to training."

* * *

 _ **I aim for a more mature Naruto shaped by everything happening to him, not one who stays almost the exact same throughout the story. He will be more mature than in canon because I need something to work with. The whole growing up in the past two weeks is just to show how much all the event during the chunnin exam affected Naruto. Do you think you would remain as immature as Naruto did if you faced Orochimaru? I wouldn't, I'd**_ ** _definitely have changed, albeit maybe a little._**

 ** _Let's not forget Gaara...*shakes head*_**

 _ **Anyway, don't forget to review!**_


	2. The Mission

_**Welcome to Chapter 2! Now, I will be the first to admit that I take a while to upload, but there really isn't anything I can do about it. I have lots of other hobbies and things I enjoy that I definitely wouldn't stop doing just to write all the time during my free time. There is also school and work...**_

 _ **Anyways, enjoy!**_

* * *

 _ **Ghosts of the Past**_

 _ **Chapter 2: The Mission**_

* * *

 _I was a lot of things during my younger years: Brash, bold, stupid, a brat, and much, much more. Yet the only thing that I hated about myself was that I was ignorant. Don't get me wrong, you cannot help what you don't know, but I hated my ignorance for another reason besides not knowing. I was too trusting. Too foolish and self-confident that I thought I was invincible. Well, what teen doesn't think that? Anyway, that doesn't matter, what matters is that growing up as I did, I should've known better. Known better than to trust so easily._

* * *

— _**One day later —**_

The sky was full of different shapes and patterns, each made by wispy white clouds that phantomed across a great blue expansion of sky. Naruto's head pounded with all the new information he had just gotten from the hundreds of clones he just dispersed. He had not only been working on perfecting his Rasengan, but he had also be trying to sharpen his chakra control and even sharpen his mind. He didn't mind learning, quite the contrary, he loved it, but he only loved it when it was something he liked. He was a selective learner. So, all these books on the basics of chakra and elemental affinities were interesting.

He closed his eyes, sighing. His head spun in unorganized cyclones of thoughts and memories. The training helped, there was no doubt about that, but it was also a huge burden on not only his chakra, but his mind. The large amount of chakra to create an actual solid clone was draining, but to receive and not ignore the very real memories was something in itself entirely. He placed a hand against his face and rubbed his eyes between forefinger and thumb, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I should probably go see Sasuke." His friend had been admitted to the hospital after the chunin exams, only to hear about his brother and go on a psycho trip. Now, Naruto didn't know how Sasuke would act after seeing his brother again.

As he sat up, he couldn't help but feel like it wasn't going to be good.

The walk to the hospital gave him time to think. Time to understand just what this new training could do for him. He had only been going at it for a day, but it felt like he had done everything he trained with for months. He had finally decided to get his chakra control together, which led to his Rasengan not being a two man job. He looked at his hand, just feeling the mass of chakra in his palm, swirling and ebbing. He had also decided to sit through some books, which, if he told the truth, weren't that bad. At least, that was what he thought, but the clones had been bored out of their minds. Feelings of boredom did not transfer well, with the whole of the memories coming in quickly and in clusters. The feelings were just a small spark in the fire.

The lady at the front desk looked him up and down for a few moments and then recognition blossomed across her face. "I came to see Sasuke Uchiha." He said politely, pulling his arms from his pockets and leaning them flush against the desk top. The nurse looked at him for a few more seconds and then nodded, looking down and searching a list on a clipboard. "Uchiha-san is in room 112." He pushed off the desk then, smiling. "Thanks, lady." He stuffed his hands back into his pockets, walking the halls to the right room. He passed a few nurses on the way, most would ask him if he needed any help or congratulate him for his win in the chunin exam. Some, however, would give him a glance and then act like he didn't exist.

It was inevitable, really. Many people respected him now, but not all will.

In time he hoped to change that.

The scratched and faded numbers on the little plaque on the door indicated he had reached his destination. He slid the door open and was greeted by a sight he had already expected to see. Sasuke sat in his bed, looking out the window with a long brooding look on his face. Sakura sat on a chair, cutting up an apple, humming a tune. Only Sakura turned to look at who was entering the room. She looked at him for a moment and then her eyes widened. "Naruto?" She said, almost breathlessly. He waved with a smile. His heart ached, like always. It was hard to see the girl you loved love another. It was even harder knowing she wouldn't feel the same.

Her eyes shined a jaded green, glowing like an emerald from the light that streamed through the window. "I thought I would come visit." Said Naruto, closing the door behind him, still looking at the two. "You're a few days late. I woke up a day after you returned. It's been three since then." Sasuke said, looking at him with dark, hooded eyes, tone full of mockery. Naruto chuckled, rubbing the back of his head with his right hand. "I was a little busy," sheepish, he smiled with a slightly flustered flush to his cheeks. "It seems you weren't busy enough to get new clothes." Sakura huffed, eyeing him again, definitely surprised at his sudden change of tastes. "That wasn't of my own violation." He insisted, walking toward the two, shooting a hateful glare at the ground one moment, but giving them an apologetic grin the next. "Anyway, how are you guys?"

"Fine."

"Hn."

He stopped and looked at Sasuke with narrowed eyes. He looked at his teammate for a few seconds, but none the less sighed. "Listen, Sasuke, Itachi shouldn't be your main concern. He's—" Eyes the color of fire burned to life as Sasuke snapped,"— Not my concern!? Not my concern!? He murdered my family you fucking idiot!" Sasuke stood from his bed, Sakura stood too, putting a hand on his arm. Sasuke forcefully shoved her out of the way, sending her and her specially cut apples to the ground. Naruto sucked in a breath of air. Sasuke got in his face, glaring with eyes of blood. "I said he isn't your main concern. I never said you should give up. " Naruto said, rage filling him, but he kept it hidden behind a cool mask. Blue eyes looked at the red, unconcerned with the consequences. It was like looking up at the pale blue sky during a cloudless day. All you could see was calmness. Sasuke shoved him forcefully, separating them. He didn't fall to the ground, merely being pushed back a few steps. Sakura sat on the ground, looking at the two. Her lip quivered and she choked back a sob.

Naruto clenched a fist, his anger getting the best of him. Sasuke took the steps that had been lost in the push and pushed again, even harder. "Fight me, idiot!" The Uchiha demanded, grabbing the front of his shirt after closing the distance again, snarling. Naruto smirked, "Fine, i've been wanting to for a while now anyway." Sasuke let go and snorted, but then he smirked, "Follow me." Sasuke shouldered past him, bumping him with his shoulder. Naruto looked at Sakura as she tried to wipe away stubborn tears. Naruto frowned and felt his rage reach the top. He whirled around and stormed out of the room, ready to kick some Uchiha ass.

Sasuke led him to the hospital's rooftop. Both stood on opposite sides, dirty laundry to their left and a high fence to the right and around the whole roof. Sasuke said nothing, only sliding into his Taijutsu stance and smirking like he had already won. Naruto shook his head, frowning and putting his hands into his signature seal. Wisps of clouds poofed into existence, soon fading to reveal exact copies. Almost three dozen stood beside and around him. His chakra was slightly depleted from his earlier training, but he didn't mind and it didn't affect him in the slightest. Sasuke looked at the real one with his Sharingan, watching him closely, not wanting to lose sight of him in the confusion of the fight. Mutely, the clones attacked like they had been silently commanded to. Some flanked left, some flanked right, and some attacked directly. Sasuke met them all equally, taking the clones out with relative ease. He slid and dipped around punches and kicks. Blocked and parried those that got too close. Moving with a grace and speed that came easy to prodigies. He was a blur as he created fine grey clouds out of the doppelgängers.

Naruto watched closely, soaking in all he could about his opponent. He had moved away from his original spot to blend in with his clones. He frowned when he got the jist of what Sasuke's Taijutsu was. Well, he didn't graduate at the top for nothing. The Uchiha Taijutsu style was precise and harsh, flowing and guarded. It left very little room for any wiggle room for him to work with in breaking his defense. The hybrid Strong Fist technique Sasuke had picked up from Lee made the already harsh attacks even more brutal. Naruto sighed. _Well, I guess all I can do is try to find the perfect opportunity._ He summoned more clones and charged along with them. He faintly heard Sakura yelling at them. He ducked under a flying clone who had been sent away with a spin kick. _Can't stop now, Sakura-chan._

His eyes set onto his target, he slipped behind a clone, making sure to make himself barely visible. Sasuke dropped low and swept a clone off his feet, using the speed of the sweep to kick a clone in the chest. Sasuke sprang to his feet, jumping out of the group to get some distance. The army of clones were relentless, not giving him any time to retaliate. Naruto reached him and swiped away a punch, throwing his own. Sasuke moved his head away, sending a hard push to Naruto's chest, setting some distance so he could spin and elbow a clone. Naruto gained his balance and jumped at his opponent again. Sasuke turned again throwing a fast punch with his right hand. Naruto let it hit him in the shoulder. He grunted at the force. Sasuke turned away and dispersed a few more clones and spinning back toward the real one, he was surprised to see that it hadn't dispersed.

A punch hit him straight in the side of the lower face.

Sasuke flew out of the group of clones, landing on his backside with a shocked expression and bleeding lower lip. The clones popped out of existence, the same way they came into existence. Naruto smirked, "Oops, I didn't think the Loser could touch the almighty Uchiha." Naruto sneered. He didn't know where this was coming from, but it felt good to let out what he felt. Sasuke looked shocked, but his face quickly turned back into a scowl. He pushed up back onto his feet, growling, "You got lucky, idiot." Sasuke jumped at him, closing the distance with a punch. Naruto swept the hit to the side, retreating to gain some space. Sasuke was relentless in his fury, coming at him persistently, not letting Naruto form a plan.

You can be mad at your own brother and still love them, right? Well, at the moment, Naruto was furious with the boy he called his best friend. Seeing how Sasuke treated Sakura made him furious, even hateful. Yet, his bond with Sasuke was too strong— too much had been put into it for it to break so easily. Sure, he loved Sakura, but he also loved Sasuke. They both had slowly started to find a place in his heart and he wasn't willing to let them go easily.

Naruto blocked a kick with his leg, jumping in the air and throwing a sweeping kick that was ducked under. Sasuke punched him in the gut, sending him back to sprawl on the ground. "Stop it!" Sakura ran over, jumping over Naruto, shielding him. She looked at Sasuke pleadingly, her eyes full of tears, her pale cheeks stained by her sorrows. Sasuke walked toward the two, eyes a cold red flame. "Move, Sakura." He commanded, clenching his fist. Sakura shook her head, more tears falling down her cheeks. "Please, Sasuke-kun, no more…" She choked on a sob and whimpered at his gaze. It was so full of hatred and anger that it made her shake. But those eyes weren't for her or for Naruto.

They were for the man that killed his clan. The man who ripped everything he held dear away.

Naruto placed a hand on her shoulder, gently pushing her off him so he could sit up. He was frowning, but he had a understanding gaze in his stare. He stood up, helping Sakura up with a proud smile as he did. He held onto Sakura's arm, then looking at Sasuke intensely. Naruto realized something then; he wasn't going to get through to Sasuke with just fighting. He had to show Sasuke that there was still a reason to not pursue Itachi so radically. "I'm done, Sasuke..." Naruto said seriously, making Sasuke snarl, "Done!? We just started!" He spit out blood just to prove his point. "You need to calm down, it's not good for you to get emotional...the seal might activate and Orochimaru will have you in his clutches." Sakura gasped, _how does Naruto know about that seal?_ Sasuke shrugged, "if he can give me power, then let him have me." Sasuke said, smirking at the expression of shock that was given to him. "That's madness, Sasuke!" Naruto yelled, "you can't let Orochimaru have what he wants!"

"Of course I can!" Sasuke spit out more blood, glaring at him, "just watch me." He said, bending his knees and his grabbing wrist, pointing his hand downward toward the ground. Lightning sprung to life, hopping and jumping off the ground sporadically. Thousands of birds had started to chirped at once. The hand held lightning grew till it surrounded Sasuke in a barrier of lightning that jumped and whirled all around him. "I'll show you not to mess with me!" Sasuke charged, holding the Chidori away from his body by spreading out his arm. Naruto gritted his teeth, holding out his palm, chakra spinning and swirling. He pushed Sakura away, looking at her apologetically, "I'm sorry, Sakura-chan."

He bolted at the boy he called brother.

He did not get far. A hand grabbed him roughly on the shoulder, another on the arm that held the Rasengan. He looked up, shocked by the sudden arrival. Jiraiya the Sannin looked down at him, eyes full of disappointment. "Sensei…" He said, thankful that he didn't have to continue fighting. Naruto looked back to Sasuke, who was being restrained by Kakashi. The Uchiha had been put into a hold that kept him from moving his arms, making the boy look childish when he tried to kick free. "What did I tell you? That Jutsu isn't one you use on comrades." Kakashi scolded as Sasuke struggled to get free. Finally Kakashi let him go, which made Sasuke jump away and glare at him. Sasuke said nothing though. Naruto had been let go too, but he hadn't noticed until Jiraiya walked in front of him. He had been so reluctant that it made restraining him child's play.

"That's quite the technique you've taught him, Kakashi." Jiraiya said as he walked toward the copy-nin. "I could say the same thing." Kakashi responded, stuffing his hands into his pockets. "My student was defending himself." Jiraiya stopped, crossing his arms. Kakashi said nothing to that, only looking at Sasuke. Sasuke continued to glare at his sensei, then turned that glare to Jiraiya, and then finally Naruto. "I'm going home." He said, voice laced with contempt. He knew he couldn't fight Naruto now. He walked over to the edge of the roof and prepared to jump off, "Sasuke, we aren't finished here." Kakashi walked toward him. Sasuke shrugged, "I don't care what we aren't finished with." He jumped on top of the high fence and then jumped onto another building, bounding away. Kakashi sighed, rubbing his face, "I guess I should go talk to him." He jumped after his wayward student.

Naruto looked at Sakura, who was furiously trying to wipe away tears. "Are you okay?" He asked, and she merely bobbed her head, not speaking. Sighing, he kneeled down, reaching out a hand and then pulling it back like he was about to touch a flame. He frowned, running a hand through his hair, "Listen Sakura, I…" He realized he had started talking despite not having any words. "I'll take you home." He finished lamely. But despite that, he wanted to take her home anyway. She looked at him, stray droplets falling freely. He wanted nothing more to reach out and touch her, wipe away her tears and tell her everything was going to be okay, but...

"It's okay...I can get home by myself." She tried to smile, but it was strained. _I know you can, i'm just worried._ He frowned, not allowing himself to say more. He could see that she was struggling to keep it all in and together. "Okay…" He helped her stand and he watched her go, feeling like something more significant should of happened after what had happened with him and Sasuke. But she simply walked away, hiding herself away from the world with a smile.

He wanted to run after her, comfort her, tell her she was always safe with him.

He didn't.

He just stood and watched, like a coward.

He put a hand over his heart, only now realizing just how far away his feelings were to Sakura. In a sense, they did not matter. To her, all there was was a crush. A childish, unreciprocated crush. He shook his head clearing himself of such thoughts. _She isn't obligated to return my feelings._ He loved her, simple as that. She did not have to love him back.

"Let's go, kid." Jiraiya laid a hand on his shoulder, looking at him with an understanding gaze. He cracked a smile, "I figured I could check up on how your training is going." Naruto nodded, trying to smile.

* * *

— _**That Night —**_

Later, he decided to go find Sasuke despite his weary body and mind. Jiraiya had insisted on a late evening session of training, meaning he had been drilled in more things than his mind could concern at the moment. He now stood looking up at Sasuke's apartment, Konoha's night life in full swing behind him. The crowd ebbed around him like water around a stone and he eyed the dark window of Sasuke's apartment. _Is he asleep or is he out?_ He wouldn't blame him for the former, but the latter would be concerning. What Sasuke said earlier creeping into frame.

With a burst of chakra he jumped to the window, landing on the outside sill. He looked through the glass, hoping to see Sasuke sleeping. The light that the shops and homes down below shined into the room showed an empty bed. His heart fell, his mind coming up with scenarios. _No, there has to be a reason he's out this late._ He jumped off backward into the air, doing a backflip and landing on the roof behind and a few meters above the window sill.

The clay shingles clinked softly from his weight and he could only stand and try to come up with a reason as to why Sasuke would be out. _He doesn't have one…_ His heart pounded and his stomach made knots. Earlier today came to the front of his mind full force. _He really would go to Orochimaru._ He turned and walked away from the edge of the roof and onto the building's peak.

The light from below faded away and the only light that remained was that of the fat sickle moons'. "Naruto Uzumaki," A voice said suddenly, making him come out of his thoughts and look to the edge of the roofs peak. There stood a figure covered in darkness. Naruto rose an eyebrow, walked closer and realized it was an Anbu covered and hooded in a black cloak. The demon on his mask was menacing and colored a deep poisonous purple. The design was a curved smile with jagged teeth and narrow eye slits with paint around them. On the forehead of the porcelain mask was the kanji for _Ne_. It was a simple design, but the aura this guy gave off was somehow making the mask seem deadly.

"Yeah…" He said uncertainly, not sure how to react. He had suddenly become very aware of every movement he made. He felt like he was being watched, but the only one looking at him was the Demon masked Anbu. He blinked. He _was_ being watched, evaluated and criticized by this very menacing looking Anbu. No eyes could be seen through the masks' slits, just black. He shifted, "can I help you…?" The Anbu did not answer, merely turning his head slightly to look at Sasuke's apartment. Naruto was surprised by how much pressure was taken off him just by the Anbu turning his head away.

"The Hokage wishes to speak with you immediately." His head turned back toward him and the pressure crushed him. "What does he want?" He asked, shivering for some reason he did not understand. "It pertains to your friend." The Anbu replied, walking along the peak, one foot in front of the other. "Sasuke…" Sudden panic rose in him, "Where is he!?" He asked, his eyes searching for a way away. "Don't fret, Sasuke Uchiha is still currently in the village." The Anbu paused, "I will take you to see Godaime-sama." He closed the distance and clapped a hand on Naruto's shoulder.

The world turned into a blur and the ground turned flat and the night sky was covered with walls. Naruto gasped, "Woah!" He placed a hand against his head, the room spinning. "You will recover soon." A voice said. Naruto turned, lowering his hand and taking in the speaker behind the desk. It was an old man with coal black hair cropped short. Wrapped around the man's head and right eye were bandages; the other eye a grey-black eye. One arm was free and held a clay cup of steaming tea, the other was set into some sort of sling in his shirt.

"But, we must start our discussion." He said, moving his hand away from his drink and shifting through some files on his desk. Naruto could only watch, confused and dizzy. "You are quite aware of Sasuke Uchiha's subversive behavior." Of course he was, "you are also aware of his cursed seal." Danzo eyed his shoulder. A silence descended onto the room until Naruto realized Danzo was waiting on an answer." Uh, yeah, I guess" He said quickly, looking away when he finished, frowning in suspicion. Danzo was unaffected by his nonexistent use of formality."Then I should tell you that Sasuke Uchiha has contacted with Oto nin tonight." Naruto gasped, "I can only assume they came to take him to Orochimaru."

"We have to stop him!" Naruto yelled and was about to go, but the silent demon masked Anbu put a hand on his shoulder. Naruto froze, eyes wide. Danzo was as calm as ever. "No, that will not work." Danzo slid a file away from the other ones on his desk. "Naruto Uzumaki." The way the Hokage said his name made him want to stand up straighter, but he stopped himself. "I have a very important mission for you. It is S-rank and will take many years to complete." Danzo's voice faded away, leaving a sober silence in the room.

After what felt like minutes, Naruto spoke, "I...I don't understand." Danzo nodded, almost in a understanding way. "It is a shock, but you are the only one who can do this." He put a finger on the file. "This is the official file, but since we don't have much time, I will explain what this mission will entail." Naruto swallowed a lump in his throat. "You will abandon Konohagakure with Sasuke Uchiha and infiltrate Otogakure to kill Orochimaru the Sannin. Orochimaru recently changed bodies, so he will be strong again, but thanks to the Sandaime Hokage, he will be weaker than he ever was in three years — when he will have to change bodies again, that's when you kill him."

"The reason you have been chosen for this mission is the fact that you too have the cursed seal, so Orochimaru expects you to fall to its power." Naruto was having trouble with all of this, but his mind could only really repeat one thing, _You will abandon Konohagakure._ "You also have your rather dark past _._ I must admit, the people of Konoha have treated you unfairly." Danzo looked almost annoyed for a moment, but then it was replaced by calmness. "You will bring back Sasuke and kill the man who killed Hiruzen Sarutobi." He summarized, letting silence fall again.

Naruto tried to find words. He really did try, but nothing came. "It is a lot to take in, but you must make a decision or you will lose your chance at a easy chance into Otogakure." Danzo looked thoughtful for a moment, "If it is the reward, then do not worry, I will pay half in advance." He reached down and opened a drawer, then reached in and pulled out a scroll. He placed it on the table, speaking. "Before I tell you what is in this scroll, I must tell you about your rather unknown parentage." Naruto inhaled through his teeth, anticipation building up inside of him.

"Your parents were Kushina Uzumaki and Minato Namikaze." Danzo didn't say it like it was anything extravagant or special. He said their names like they were unimportant people. But to Naruto they were special. To him a weight that had sat on his chest was whisked away just by hearing their names. His parents — Minato, Kushina. He breathed out a shuddering breath. Tears had started to fall without his knowledge, but he did not care.

"Your father was a very powerful man," Danzo admitted this a little reluctantly, "I'm sure you understand this." He picked up the scroll and held it out, "In this scroll is what made your father the fastest man in the world." Naruto took the scroll greedily. Not for the greed of power, but for the connection the scroll would bring him to his father. He cried as he clutched the scroll to his chest.

"With their rather untimely deaths, they had no wills to give you, but all their possessions of value are in that scroll too." He made a sound deep in his throat, "I don't know what is in there since Hiruzen oversaw the sealing, but you should be aware that it is sealed by a very powerful seal that requires your blood alone." Danzo watched him.

Naruto wiped away his tears, smiling. He knew it would be a risky mission, but he also knew that he had to bring back Sasuke and kill Orochimaru.

"I'll do it."

* * *

— _**With Sakura —**_

She walked the road, knowing her parent would freak out on her when she got home. Yet she did not care. They could freak out if they wanted. She needed to think and she didn't need two angry adults screaming in her ears. So, she walked the village, as aimless as the wind. She had been at it for several hours, just thinking. She had ran into Ino at one point, but had not told her thoughts so not to re-ruin their reconciling friendship. The two had gotten ice cream, talked about pointless things and then Ino had to go home, not wanting to be in trouble with her parents.

So, she wandered.

 _I love Sasuke…but what is this feeling in my stomach?_ She could not get Naruto out of her head and she would be lying if she said she wasn't surprised by Naruto's change. Don't get her wrong, the clothes had been a nice change, but there was something about Naruto himself that had affected her.

He seemed...mature.

He still had that sly, mischievous, cunning glint in his eye, but he was just calmer than she had ever seen him. Before, he looked like a bratty kid who always yelled and wanted attention. Now, he looked like someone who held very deep and complex feelings that no one needed to see. He seemed like he had it all together.

That was impossible though; loud and brash Naruto couldn't have it all figured out.

Still, looking into those eyes made all seem calm; made all nothing compared to the deep blue color of them. She breathed out, feeling like she was drowning just by imagining them. _What the hell happened to him!?_ She yelled inside of her mind.

Without her notice, she had wandered to the main road, and now stood a ways away from where she and Sasuke had almost kissed — the defining moment where she actually saw her love for Sasuke was more than just a crush.

However, standing next to the bench were two very familiar people. "You can't be serious." Sasuke said, sounding skeptical. Naruto nodded his head, his hair shining in the silver light of the moon. "I'm serious," He reached behind his neck and undid his headband. He held it out so Sasuke could see. He then reached into his ninja pouch with his other hand and pulled out a kunai. Sakura watched, horrified as Naruto touched to tip of the kunai to the metal plate of his headband.

 _Ssshhhhiink_

He drew a deep, ugly, grey scar across the leaf symbol, creating a haunting noise that echoed through her mind. He then dropped the headband, letting it _clink_ against the cobblestone softly. Sasuke looked as surprised as she did, but his expression turned sour. "You have reasons to stay, Naruto…" Sasuke trailed off, shooting a glance in her direction, his expression aloof. Naruto laughed, but it wasn't his usual cheerful one, it was bitter and hurt. "Please, these people hate me." He pointed the kunai still in his hand at Sasuke. "I finally realized that they will never let me be Hokage." He said the words so sadly that it made a tear fall from her eye.

"They wouldn't accept it." He pocketed the kunai then, crossing his arms afterward and waited. Sasuke mulled it over, "Okay, but you have to deal with her." He nodded his head in her direction. Naruto spun, gasping and looking at her with wide blue pools. Wind swept through the scene, swaying her hair and making her put some strands behind her ear. "Naruto…" She whispered, tears falling from her eyes and her fist clenching against her chest. "Y-you never give up!" She yelled, her eyes bleary with tears. "You always went on and on about being Hokage! What happened!?" She waited as he looked at her, guilty and bitter. "I'm sorry, Sakura, but I'm done with this place." He walked toward her, his eyes turning a grey-blue as calm as a clear sky.

His eyes always did that, change with his emotions.

"Then you aren't Naruto!" She yelled before she could think on her words. He stopped, stricken. His expression turned sad, his eyes a runny blue. "I can tell you something that the real Naruto would say." He stated and walked toward her again, his eyes a glassy calm. She stepped back when he got close, but he grabbed her arm and put his face close to hers. A tight silence took up the second that he hesitated. "I love you." He said the three words so quietly that the wind might have took them away. She gasped and didn't get to respond.

He kissed her.

He kissed her, on the lips.

He didn't do it hard or lustfully.

He only did it softly.

He did it with all his feelings...

She was put into a state of shock as his lips left hers, leaving a cold feeling that would never leave her. It had only been for a second, but in that second every thought had been replaced by his warm lips— the feeling of just him.

He stepped back, grim and sad. "I'm sorry, but this is the end." She grabbed onto his shoulders, starting to talk. "Wait, we need to talk abo— " His movements turned into a blur.

All turned black.

* * *

 ** _Ooohh, the plot thickens!_**

 ** _So, I always have trouble with Sasuke's character, so I apologize if he was a bit over the top. Well, he is always over the top when it comes to Itachi, so I might not have made him too out of character._**

 ** _Review, please! I don't care if it is praise or criticism, I want to know what you think. (I started writing fanfiction so I could improve my writing, so that's the main reason I want to known what I did right and what I did wrong)_**


	3. Understanding Loss

_**Welcome to Chapter 3! I am very pleased at the response the story is receiving. I would just like to say a quick little thank you to all of you.**_

 ** _Thank you._**

 ** _Now, enjoy, shit goes down in this one!_**

* * *

 _ **Ghosts of the Past**_

 _ **Chapter 3: Understanding Loss**_

* * *

 _He had planned it all. Everything. Planned it all so perfectly that no one could stop him. Yet, in some ways, he failed. I made sure of that. Now, he did not hate me at this point. He was doing what he thought was best for Konoha. But it was definitely the beginning of what would become a mutual hatred._

* * *

— _**Hi no Kuni —**_

They jumped through the trees in what had became a very repetitive rhythm. The Sound Four led the way, he and Sasuke following close behind. At this point in trips, he would have been itching for conversation, but right now he was silent. He merely had too much on his mind for talk. He touched his lips for what felt like the thousandth time. The warmth was still there. He was barely controlling the emotions inside of himself.

He had kissed her!

In a bold, and rather un-like himself fashion, he had kissed her.

He was torn. Seeing the look on her face and his duty to Konoha and his best friend had torn him in pieces. The image of her looking so broken and sad made him almost turn back more times than he could count. Yet he kept going farther and farther away; from his home and love. He glanced at Sasuke, who had a look of pale stone.

Suddenly, the four Oto nin went to the forest floor, which meant Naruto and Sasuke followed. The Sound Four turned and looked at them, Jirobo removing a cylinder container from his back and placing it on the ground. Kidomaru was the first to speak, "Listen well, brats, cuz' I won't explain twice." He held up a little bottle with tiny brown pills inside and a cork sealing it, shaking it like a rattle. "These little fuckers will advance your cursed seals so you will stop being a bunch of pussies." Tayuya interjected, pointing a thumb at the bottle. Kidomaru snorted, "I was going to explain!" He hit her arm away from the bottle. She scowled, cursing him. "I already told you to tone down the language, you might make a bad impression." Jirobo chided, starting a glaring match with the fiery red-head.

"Since we only have one coffin, you will choose who goes first...or we will." Sakon continued with a sneer, cracking his knuckles in a threatening fashion. The two looked at one another and it was apparent Naruto didn't want anything to do with this. "I'll do it." Sasuke said, walking toward Kidomaru and holding out a hand. Kidomaru smirked and popped open the bottle, shook out a pill and then put it into Sasuke's flat palm. Jirobo pulled the top off the cylinder coffin, smirking as Sasuke looked around nervously. He looked at Naruto, doubt creeping onto the edges of his demeanor. He put the pill into his mouth, covering his mouth with his palm and cringing. He made a dry gulping sound as he swallowed the pill.

Nothing happened for a few moments, but in a snap Sasuke was screaming. "Gah! ahhhhhhhhhh!" He collapsed to his knees. His seal swirled and pulsed a sickly red color, spreading across his body. Jirobo moved to pick him up. But, the wind picked up for a moment. Leaves swirled, branches swayed, bushes and grass shook. It stopped as soon as it started. Jirobo stopped suddenly, his expression changing from confusion to shock and then pain. Slowly, a thin red line drew itself across his neck. Then blood gushed out, sending itself all over the kneeling Sasuke and shocked Naruto. Jirobo's head tumbled uselessly to the ground.

Then everything went crazy.

The rest of the Sound Four jumped to the trees, blurs following them. Sparks flew, leaves were thrown about and branches broke. Naruto stood in shock, watching as Tayuya fell to the ground from high above, her arm cleaved off at the bicep. In a blur of motion, an Anbu appeared standing above her, blade poised downward to stab. Naruto recognized the Konoha Black Ops uniform easily enough. Tayuya screamed, but it was cut short by a blade through her throat.

Naruto was grabbed roughly on the neck and pushed down. He hit his temple on a rock, making his vision exploded with white and his head pulse in pain. He grunted from the strength this person was using on his neck. His vision cleared and nearly a dozen Anbu now stood around him and Sasuke, who was shaking violently and whimpering.

"Sasuke!" He croaked, his air becoming limited. Sasuke turned over and laid on his side, eyes wide with pain and fear. Naruto shook and tried to sum up some strength to fight back, but the Anbu that held his neck also sat on his back and clenched Naruto's arms against his body with his knees. He kicked, but it did nothing but look like a childish attempt at escape.

"What will we do with the Uchiha?" One of the Anbu that he could see asked, looking at a place he could not turn his head to. "What is it that they gave him?" A voice asked. Naruto froze. One Anbu held the bottle and was examining it closely. "A powerful drug if im guessing." He threw away the bottle and it shattered on the ground. The pills rolled all over the place. "Don't know, but it doesn't matter if he's alive, all he wants is the eyes."

Naruto watched as another Anbu walked into his line of sight. The demon masked Anbu. He was in a combat uniform now and it was covered in blood from chest to mask. The blood that dribbled down his mask made the design even more menacing. Naruto watched as a droplet fell down the forehead and around the left eye slit, moving away like it was avoiding the black of his eyes. Naruto tried to see eyes, tried to commit them to memory, but there was only black.

The Demon walked toward him, flicking his blade, cleaning it of blood in one solid swing. The life's blood made a wet disgusting _splat_ sound as it was splattered all over the green grass. "You remember me?" He asked, tilting his head so his sandy brown hair shifted. He laughed, "Of course you do. Every time you see me you shake." It was true, he was shaking. Violently.

Sasuke screamed and a sudden burst of purple chakra shot from him. The chakra swirled and spun. It didn't seem to affect the Anbu in the slightest.

"What the fuck are you doing!?" Naruto managed to yell, the grip on his neck tightening after, making him make an odd sound that was a mix between a groan and a wheeze. "Our mission." The Anbu that held him answered. Naruto gasped, feeling him rummage around his ninja pouch. "Here it is." The Anbu tossed a scroll to the sandy haired demon. Naruto gasped again, but it was more like a broken attempt at an inhale. His parents scroll. The Demon looked it over, then tossed it into the air and caught it. "Now i'm going to explain something to you and you are going to accept everything I say, okay?" He kneeled down in front of Naruto and pointed at the scroll. "This scroll holds many secrets. The Hokage wants those secrets." His head tilted up and looked at the Anbu on top of Naruto. It fell back down as Naruto felt the pressure on his right side lessen. Before he could act, a hand gripped his loosened arm and pulled it out. Then another hand gripped his wrist, locking his arm in a straight pull. It was another Anbu. Naruto tried to pull it away, flail it around to do _something_ in defence.

Yet the Anbu's grip was noncompliant. The Demon put a hand on his chin, forcing him to look into the black. "You will help us get these secrets." The Demon said in a tone so full of finality that it almost made Naruto believe it. His chin was let go and he dropped his head onto the ground, his teeth gritted and his mind whirling for a way out of this. Naruto inhaled dirt and grass when he felt the cold touch of metal on his wrist. Naruto's head shot up, looking at The Demon as he held a kunai to the bottom of Naruto's wrist. "All I need is a single, teeny tiny drop." He drew the blade across his skin, making him wince. He almost screamed, but the lack of air he was getting only made the sound sound savage and un-human.

The Demon watched as blood flowed from Naruto's wrist to the ground in a solid stream. "Just a teeny tiny drop." He repeated, reaching out and putting his hand right in the middle of the stream. Blood flowed into the palm of his hand and then flooded over. He slowly clenched his fist and pulled his hand away from the stream. He then held up his forefinger. "Just a drop." He said, preparing to open the scroll. "Hey, I think the Uchiha died." One Anbu interrupted, making The Demon stop. He turned his head and Naruto turned his eyes. He looked, looked at his best friend.

He only received a blank stare in return.

Sasuke's expression was one of pure fear and pain. His face was pale and covered by the black paint of the cursed seal. His eyes, once deep pools as deep as ink, now looked like a very dulled out black. His mouth was open in a scream.

He was dead.

Sasuke Uchiha was dead.

"Well, I guess that solves that."

An Anbu stepped over Sasuke and kneeled down, pulling out a tube full of a liquid. He then processed to pop Sasuke's eyes out one by one, not really caring to check if he was dead or not. Naruto could not even make a sound, could not even form a thought. He was only filled with anguish. The Anbu stood looking at the eyes in the tube. "Oh, sorry Commander, I didn't mean to stop your sadistic trip." He said, pocketing the tube. Naruto did not hear The Demon's reply. He merely laid his head on the ground, eyes far away. He felt it, felt the power surfacing, felt their tainting and potent power. He let them come. He let them come to the surface.

"Woah, what the fuck!?"

"Is that orange chakra!?"

"Shit! It burned me!?"

"Get away, the combined power of a Bijuu and Cursed Seal are completely unknown!"

Naruto felt his arm be dropped, felt his wrist heal in seconds; he felt the weight on his back disappear. He heard the faint thump of the scroll. Yet he was consumed with rage. Consumed with grief for his best friend. He pushed off the ground, his hand a claw cloaked in orange. The grass sizzled and crackled from the heat. He stood and the air literally _burned_ with all the energy. His eyes had turned red, his whiskers thickened. Yet as monstrous as he looked, he wept.

The Cursed Seal had been activated and black ink snaked halfway across his body. A thin amount of purple chakra had surrounded him. The rest of the chakra that surrounded him was orange. He looked at them with feiral red eyes. Going from one to the next. They stood with their weapons drawn in a half circle around him and some had moved to the trees. Three tails moved behind him, swaying in a nonrhythmic syncrasy. He took a step. He heard grips tighten, feet slide backward, gasps. They feared him now.

Good.

In a blur of orange, purple, and yellow he took out the first one. The very farthest away in the semicircle. His hand pierce through the Anbu's flak jacket and into soft flesh. The Anbu cried out in pain, feverishly trying to grab Naruto's arm. He pulled his hand from the Anbu's chest, letting him fall to the floor. It was the one that had taken Sasuke's eyes. He the _felt_ the air being sliced in a way you would feel a barrier being penetrated. He ducked under a slash of a sword. He quickly threw his flat hand around and it sliced through the Anbu's neck as easy as anything he had ever done. He grabbed the Anbu's ninjato from the air as it spun wildly; turning and using it to block a slash that came from his side. He had no time to kill this one seeing as how another Anbu had attacked with him.

Naruto ducked, letting a thrust meant for his chest stab the air above him. One of his chakra tails then shot up and stabbed the attacker through the gut. Naruto used his position to quickly cut the hand off the Anbu he had blocked before; who had been preparing a downward slash. The Anbu staggered, gasping and crying insensible words.

This had happened in the space of several seconds.

His tail shot forward and took the entirety of the handless Anbu's right ribs out. Naruto turned as his tails swirled around him protectively. He looked at The Demon as he and his Anbu looked on in shock. Naruto held up his bloody hand. "Just a drop..." Naruto murmured, but the area was so quiet that he might as well have yelled it. He closed his fist and the blood made a sick _squish_ sound. Their was a moment of pure shock. A moment of pure silence. It was broken when the Anbu commander talked. "F-fall bac-ck!" He ordered and suddenly Naruto wasn't afraid of him and his menacing mask.

They all jumped away, but the Commander stayed. He looked at Naruto, "I will kill you one day, demon…" He spat, then jumped away. Naruto watched him go, lowering his hand. _No, I will kill you._ He turned, his chakra shroud fading. He winced, covering his shoulder as the seal retracted.

He walked toward Sasuke's body and sat next to it. He did nothing for several minutes, only looking at Sasuke's face. He closed Sasuke's eye lids, not able look at the emptiness his stolen eyes made. He continued to sit for awhile, face blank. It was almost morning when he decided on what to do with Sasuke. He dug the hole with his hands and it took him several hours. He did it slowly and painfully. At one point he had started crying and ran over to clutch Sasuke against his chest, begging for him to be alive again.

He screamed and raged, cried and whimpered like a baby, cursed every god he knew and all the ones he didn't.

Yet by midday he was laying his brothers body into the very shallow but wide hole. He looked at Sasuke for a while as he laid in the hole, looking almost peaceful. He then gathered long pieces of wood and stacked it all around and over Sasuke in a very informal fashion. Then he got some kindling, spread it out over the base of the wood stand, and lit a blank scroll on fire. He looked at the flame as it danced and waved around like a little demon; consuming the scroll bit by bit.

He tossed it into the woodstack. And the flame spread quickly over the wood and kindling. The baby fire demon grew up into a raging inferno of unbearable heat. He gained some distance away and stared at the fire for a very long time, face blank.

He was in shock.

He had been played. He had been tricked into abandoning Konoha, abandoning everything he knew and loved, all so Danzo could betray him. All so Danzo could take his parents secrets and kill him. All so Danzo could kill Sasuke and take his eyes.

All because they wouldn't be a threat anymore.

Danzo knew he wouldn't have been able to control them. So he plotted to get rid of them.

By the time It started to rain the fire had died and was now a bed of ashes and embers. He let the rain soak him, unconcerned. He just looked at the fresh mound of ashes, as they hissed at the rain and steamed in retaliation to being drowned.

After he finished staring, he tried to find anything useful on the Anbu's bodies. He found some ryo, scrolls with food, kunai, smoke bombs, and he even decided to strap one of the ninjato to his back. He did not know any Kenjutsu, but he felt like the extra length of blade would help. He wrung out a cloak and covered himself with it, finding it a bit big around the shoulders and long at the legs.

He was going through a pouch when he touched something that made him freeze. The tube. He pulled it out, feeling his heartbeat in his ears. He looked at the eyes. Sasukes eyes. The Sharingan of the Uchiha clan. He looked at Sasuke's ashes, wondering if he should burn the eyes too. He decided against it and put the tube gently into his ninja pouch and stood.

He walked over to the burnt indent his chakra had made in the grass. He picked up the scroll, expecting it to be sopping wet. Strangely, the seals around the scroll protected it from any kind of damage, so it stayed dry despite the rain. _Seals are useful, huh?_ He mused dryly inside his mind, picking the scroll up and turning it over in his hand. He saw that no blood had gotten on it. But it wouldn't have matter, cause the place that needed blood was marked by the kanji for blood.

He looked back at Sasuke's ashes again. Knowing he was repeating the action. He stared intently, wondering as to what he was going to do. A pain vined through his system, originating at his neck. He touched his Cursed Seal. _Orochimaru...he will take me in, but…_ The only reason he was going to go in the first place was for his mission. Now…

He walked then, restless in his thoughts.

* * *

— _**Sakura —**_

She walked, not knowing what to think of all that had happened in the past twelve hours. _Naruto and Sasuke-kun are gone._ This morning — after running around and trying to find her sensei — she had learned another piece of news; Danzo and the Fire Daimyo had declared war on Suna. It was a surreal thing, and she was unsure as to how she should react. She had never experienced much death. So war was going to be a shock of reality.

"Out! Out! OUTTTT!" Sakura turned her head at the sound of the very loud yelling. Some other villagers stopped and turned their heads too. A very angry man was waving a cudgel at a tall busty blonde woman, who was obviously drunk by the way she walked out of the bar. _Walked out_ , mind you, not pulled out. She said something that was incoherent from where Sakura was. The man had heard her clearly though, "I don't give a rats ass about who you are! You are several hundred silver ryo in debt to me! Now, piss off you big titted idiot!" The man's face was red from his yelling, but it turned snow white when the blonde woman pounded her hands together, one palming the fist of the other. A loud _craacck!_ sounded out as she popped her knuckles.

"What did you say at the end there?" The woman said, clear as glass despite her obvious drunkenness. It was at this time that Sakura recognized the woman as Tsunade Senju. Sakura gasped and ran over to the quarrel. _She could kill him with just her finger!_ "I'm so sorry from my master's behavior." Sakura said quickly, sliding in the space between the two, trying to sound as polite as possible. "But she tends to have very little control of her emotions when she drinks." She smiled, acting embarrassed. She averted her eyes and blood rushed to her cheeks. _I'm better at acting than I thought._ She bowed her head in shame and Tsunade made a unlady like snort behind her. The man looked all too eager to accept her apology after realizing what shit he had stepped into. "Right, well, uh...don't let it happen again." The man said lamely, glancing at Tsunade and then heading back into his bar.

Sakura turned and the door slammed behind her heavily. She smiled up at Tsunade, who was looking at her with a confused and almost interested expression. "Master? I don't know you girl." Sakura shrugged, smiling innocently. "I had to think of something that made my words more believable." Tsunade's brow furrowed and then she burst out laughing. "Now that's gold!" Sakura shook her head, not really finding it that funny."You were about to kill him." Sakura said a little scathingly. Tsunade laughed even harder. "Hahaha! Yeah right! I might have big tits but i'm not an idiot." She slowed her laughter and snorted, glaring at the wooden door. "So, what do you want?" Tsunade's honey eyes flicked back to Sakura's own jade ones.

"What do you mean?" Sakura shifted nervously, her head tilting. "You know what I mean." Tsunade said hotly, crossing her arms underneath her bosom. Sakura felt a flare of jealousy. She smiled, suppressing her insecurities and trying to stay ignorant looking. Tsunade waited, even starting to tap a foot against the road. Sakura sighed, knowing that playing dumb wasn't going to work, "Would you be kind enough to train me?" She asked as politely as she could, looking up at the Sannin with big innocent eyes of green grass.

"What, why?" Tsunade asked, and then said, "No, I don't take on students." Sakura's expression fell and her heart dropped into a deep abyss of sadness. "But, I…" Her voice cracked, tears welling up into her eyes. She wiped at them, feeling angry again. _Is crying all you can do? You big baby!_ Tsunade was taken in a loop at the little pinkettes tears. "Geez, I wasn't that harsh kid." She looked away, a little ashamed. "Besides, there are ton of other ninja in the village you could ask."

Sakura shook her head, wisps of pink hair swishing into her face from the motion. "No...I just wanted to get stronger faster, so I could go after Naruto and Sasuke." She cracked a tiny smile, "It's okay, i'll just get my team sensei to help me." She bowed then turned to walk away. "Wait." Sakura turned around looking at the Sannin expectantly. Tsunade bit her lip, then let out a long, exasperated sigh, "Fine." _Since you want to get Naruto back._ Sakura's face blossomed into a beautiful smile. "Really?" She asked, Tsunade almost shook her head, but nodded once.

Sakura squealed and hugged Tsunade around the waist, yelling, "Thank you! Thank you! Thank youuuu!" Tsunade pushed her away gently, looking flustered from Sakura's sudden affection. Sakura practically danced in her place, giggling like a mad woman. Tsunade's eyes hardened, turning from thick honey to bars of gold. "You know Naruto?" Sakura's excitement was swept away in a breath. Her expression fell, and she looked at the road, unconsciously touching her lips; thinking about the missing warmth that had plagued her since last night. "Yes," She started slowly, her feelings coming to the forefront. She looked Tsunade in the eye.

She quickly shook her head, throwing back the emotion to the deepest part of her. But Tsunade had seen all the hurt and confusion. "Naruto isn't the type of person to abandon everything he loves." Tsunade said seriously, her eyes plates of forged gold. _He did though…_ Sakura thought with a little bitterness "There has to be a reason." Tsunade said with more certainty than Sakura could ever feel after seeing the emotions in Naruto's eyes.

"Of course there's a reason…"

* * *

— _**Naruto —**_

He stood on a branch at the edge of a treeline overlooking a valley. He looked out over the hill valley village that he was currently going to pass through. He had seen many places like this during his time in Ta no Kuni. The rice fields ran all throughout the valley, cutting through the hills and even climbing the subtle ascension of the lone mountain and its lower area. The village followed the rice fields along the hills and mountain, the buildings mixing in the areas the fields didn't cover. Roads ran through the entirety of the hill valley. A lake was to the east of the village, and man made streams provided water to the rice fields.

There was a subtle peacefulness to the village that he could not enjoy. His mind was a numbed mess. He was still in shock. He had not realized his state of mind when he was burning Sasuke, but it had become quite clear to him when his emotions had calmed down a bit. A state of shock does not mean you can't feel emotion, in fact, a shock was when you have so many emotions that your brain can't function properly.

He now understood why Sasuke was so affected by his clan's death.

He now understood loss more sharply than ever.

He had lost his parents, the Sandaime, and now Sasuke. He had lost his chance at being Hokage. Lost his chance at ever being with Sakura ever again.

With a heavy heart and a blank mind, he jumped from the last tree and onto the ground. Walking toward the closest road, rain started to fall. He looked up at the clouds, frowning in irritation. He pulled the hood of his cloak over his head — stepping from the grass and onto the road — looking down at the road as it slowly started to turn to mud.

He walked the length of the road down to the village, carts wheeling by and farmers running past him. No one seemed to care to stop and check on him, or even to ask him why he was here. It wasn't like he was entitled to their concern. He had heard so many stories about lost and beaten hero's being helped by kind people that he almost expected it to happen to him.

Yet it didn't happen.

Why should he expect it to? He was no hero.

He was just a stupid kid who trusted too easily.

The rain was cut off by his stepping onto a landing outside of an inn a good way into the village. The cover making it seem like he stepped into a whole different place. Friendly and homely light shone through the window. He heard laughter and shouts so happy that it would be tempting to smile at them. Yet his lips did not crack from their straight line.

He pushed open the door, and it was almost like a wind demon had came and stolen away all of their voices by how silent it got.

Every eye in the room looked at him and he had to keep the surprise off his face. There were several dozen people, most men. Some were women, but all of them were farmers coming in from a hard day of work or people who served at the inn. He pushed his hood back and let his hair free to dry, slowly finding a smile within himself. "I apologize," He started, his tone becoming amused, "but I was just passing through town, so I hoped I could find a place to stay at this inn." He was met with a cold silence, and he forced his smile to not fall.

He let the door swing shut behind him, muffling the outside world. He walked toward the bar that sat a good portion of the people. All eyes on him. A great fire was popping and crackling in the hearth that another great majority of the people gathered around. Suddenly, like a shift, a great majority of the room lost interest in him and turned back to their own business. He sighed as he sat on the bar.

He rubbed the counter top with the palms of his hands, nervously looking at the men that sat around him. He gingerly pulled out a iron ryo and motioned the bartender over. "Yes?" He asked politely, but it was easy to see he knew what Naruto wanted. "A room and meal, please." He held out the coin, not knowing how much it would be. The bartender took it and eyed him, "I'm sure you would also like a bath." He stated, then tilted his head to make it into a question.

Naruto froze, finally realizing what had made all of the people look at him. He stunk. But not with the kind of stink that comes from not bathing in a while, but from blood. The tangy potent iron smell of blood was on everything that he had on him. When he had walked in, it was like he had brought death with him.

"I would." Naruto finally said, blushing in embarrassment.

The bartender nodded and pocketed the iron coin, then pulled out his hand with several copper penny ryo in change. He dropped the coins into Naruto's hand as he spoke, "The bathhouse is out back." He motioned with his thumb in the direction, then paused as Naruto put away his money in his eccentric froggy wallet that he affectionately called Gama-chan. "I'll get someone to bring you water."

Naruto smile gratefully and pushed off the stool he sat on. "Yimi, get some hot water ready for the bathhouse!" The bartender ordered. Naruto made a quick exit, not wanting to offend these people any more than he had to. He found the bathhouse easily enough, only getting a little soaked on his way. It wasn't anything special, just a long shack with benches flush against the wall, cubicles that held the very large wooden bathtubs, and screens to get changed behind. Lanterns were hung on the walls by nails, letting off a sullen light.

He picked the one furthest from the door and stripped behind the screen despite there being no one else around him. He left his underwear after some contemplation, but decided quite easily to keep a kunai in hand. After he stepped around the screen, he heard footsteps coming closer to the bathhouse. He put the kunai behind his back, eyeing the door.

A woman walked around it, carrying a bucket in both of her hands. She turned the corner like she already knew where he was. So this was Yimi. She was old, but to him everyone could be considered old. She looked close to twenty and maybe not even close to that, with stringy brown hair and chocolate brown eyes. She was almost plain in features, but in a sort of pretty way; maybe that was why he thought she looked older. "I'm surprised you didn't strip all the way." Yimi said casually, stepping over the lip and onto the riverstone that made up his cubicle. "It seems like all men don't give a damn about being seen naked! Even the teenagers!" She complained, easily dumping the bucket into the tub.

He had been so shocked at her words, that he didn't find words until she was almost out the door. "What does that mean!?" She rounded the corner, leaving his question untouched. He was left to silence until, "It means that all men don't have a shameful bone in their bodies!" She yelled, picking the conversation back up where it was left. She snorted very unlady like, "Some should, really. With the size of their dicks." Naruto felt his whole body blush at her words. She seemed unabashed by her own comment.

Yimi emptied the bucket again and then turned around to look at him. He suddenly felt very exposed. She grinned, "Well, I can't say I would complain if you took off your clothes." She eyed his body openly, making him shake with embarrassment. He had always been short for his age, but over the past few months he had finally started to hit a growth spurt. With that growth spurt had came added muscle mass.

He was quite proud of the muscle he was sporting after being a skinny brat for so long.

She seemed pretty damn proud of it too.

He shifted under her gaze, but then she snorted again, "Relax kid, you're way too young for me." She then looked uncertain, "How old are you anyway?" He tilted his head, unsure as to what that had to do with anything. He didn't even thinking of lying, "Thirteen." With that, she lost interest as quick as a buyer losing interest in a lame horse. She left to refill the bucket, leaving him sorely confused.

She refilled his tub a few more times, not speaking. The process seemed rather stupid to him. Going back and forth, back and forth. Then he remembered that he was a long way off from Konoha. So most people couldn't afford plumbing and running water. The only thing that resembled plumbing here were the small holes in the floor that collected water and delivered the water into several channels that went somewhere he didn't care to find out.

By the time she was done, she was soaked with rain water.

"So, what's a kid like you doing coming into town reeking of death?" She asked the question casually, but he could hear the underlying intentions. The question turned his insides cold, "That has nothing to do with you." He said almost a little coldly, the grip on the kunai behind his back becoming forceful. She was shocked enough to turn around and meet his eye.

She saw cold blue so lightly colored that it almost looked white.

She turned around again, looking at the tub. Steam rose from the full tub and she looked at the water with wide eyes. "I-i'm sorry, I shouldn't o-of asked." She started to leave, but then he stopped her, his voice sounding true through the bath house, "Could you please wash my clothes too?" He held them out, leaving his cloak so he wouldn't be completely naked when done. She took them, not meeting his eye, "I will bring you a fresh pair, but i'll need—" He held out a gold coin, stopping her sentence. She eyed it as it glistened in the damp lantern light. He idly wondered if she had even seen gold before. Gold ryo were worth ten time more than silver ryo, and you don't see a mere kid flailing around one everyday. She took the coin, "This is way too much. Several bits of silver or maybe iron will do." She said truthfully. He smiled, nonchalant. "That's okay, just find me some clothes that fit and feel comfy, then keep the rest as a tip." He felt bad for getting angry. She looked shocked, but then she bowed, muttering her thanks. He watched her go, sighing as she turned the corner. "Damnit…" He muttered, bringing the kunai from his back and loosening his grip. He looked at the blade and frowned.

He had reacted quite badly to just a curious question.

Bitterness flooded through him. _It was none of her business._

He stripped his underwear, deciding he was too tired to care anymore. He layed back into the warm tub, sighing pleasantly. He closed his eyes, feeling a sort of calmness come about him. The steam continued to rise into the air and he tried to keep his thoughts under control.

All the while, he clutched his kunai at his side.

* * *

 ** _I'm an evil bastard, I know._**

 ** _That's why you should tell me what you think in a review!_**


	4. Dark Intentions

**Welcome back. Not much to say, so...**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 _ **Ghosts of the Past**_

 _ **Chapter 4: Dark Intentions**_

* * *

 _Danzo had a plan. He had a plan to make Konoha the greatest village there ever was. Yet he did it all wrong. He thought that if Konoha was the only village left — the only village in control — then the world would see Konoha was the greatest. And he wanted to eliminate everything he saw as a threat to that plan. I was one of them._

* * *

— _**Naruto —**_

Naruto stepped from the doorway of the bathhouse as he pulled at the hem of his new shirt. It was cotton and soft, but not made to be tough like his usual ninja wear. He shrugged on his cloak, trying to find a way to put it so it didn't look as big around the shoulders. After a while of messing with it he decided to let it do whatever it wanted, which meant it wanted to make him look bulky. Well, maybe he needed to look a little bulky.

He stepped back onto the inns landing, the rain having stopped just minutes before he finished his bath. The ground was still mud and puddle riddled, but he didn't care if his sandals got a little wet and dirty. A sullen wind now flowed through the village, the force of it swaying the sign that hung from an extended beam that went out over the road. On it was a picture of a hilly valley with a sun behind it and rice fields running along the hills. Just like the village.

He let the door swing close, his entering turning a few heads, but not as many as the first time. He started walking to the bar; his footsteps creating a solemn echo against the floorboards. "You probably want to go to your room now, right?" A feminine voice asked. Naruto turned, half expecting Yimi, but it was another serving girl. She was a blonde, with that farmer's daughter body and demeanor. She had the same brown colored eyes, but these were more innocent than Yimi's. Naruto guessed her to only be a few years older than him.

"Please." He smiled pleasantly. A little color came to her cheeks and she averted her eyes. She cleared her throat, meeting his eyes again, "Then right this way, please." She extended her arm in the direction of a set of stair on the other side of the room by the hearth. Her other arm held a set of sheets to her flat chest.

He started that way, trying to keep his head low and demeanor harmless as he walked by the mostly full tables. Then, a hand gripped his arm firmly. It wasn't meant to hurt or scare, but it was definitely there for a purpose. Naruto's eye flickered up the arm and to the man's face, his hand twitching almost on reflex to call the kunai that he now kept up his sleeve. Seeing that there was no threat, he pushed the tip of it back inside, hoping that the second that the metal was exposed hadn't reflected any of the firelight.

"Listen kid." The man started seriously, his brown eyes flat. There was a firm warning tone growing in his voice. "You don't start no trouble seein' as how you came in here smellin' like a butcher." His eyes settled on Naruto's, unwavering. Naruto liked his resolve. He smiled in a disarming fashion. The grip on his arm loosened as a slight shock came on the man's face. "Of course not." He pulled his arm away, turning to face the man fully, keeping their eyes locked.

The man's eyes widened as he couldn't look away. "I've just been through a lot of shit these past few days." He said slowly, his eyes turning a cloudy grey-blue. "So, I would appreciate you leaving me alone if I left you alone. Got it?" Naruto did not wait for a response and broke their eye contact, turning back in the direction of the staircase. He started walking again, his footsteps and the crackling of the fire the only sounds heard in the entire inn.

The door of the inn opened, the placing being filled by the outside air and the sound of the old hinges squeaking. "I'm quite surprised to see you here, Uzumaki." Naruto froze at the base of the steps, one foot on the first step, recognizing the voice just by the cold mocking of its tone. He started to turn, looking at the man who had brought him close to death once. "Kabuto." He finished his turning and made his displeasure known by the scowl on his face.

Several other Oto ninja surrounded the Snake Sannin's apprentice, each in the traditional uniform of their so called 'village'. "Why are you here?" Kabuto inquired, walking toward him. "Oh, I see, you came with Sasuke." Naruto casually pushed back his cloak over his shoulder to show the ninjato he had strapped to his back. He place his hand on the handle, eyes narrow. Kabuto stopped, his movements not shocked or weary by the sight of the blade, but he stopped none the less.

The rest of the room had turned even more silent by the sudden standoff. The fire crackled and rain started to slowly start to fall outside again, pattering against the window. "We both know you can't use that." Kabuto said with certainty, his face turning annoyed. "Now, let's talk like civilized people, 'kay?" He held up his arms in what was meant to be a disarming gesture, but Naruto did not even look hesitant to remove his hand from the handle.

Kabuto's eyes turned stormy, "Where's Sasuke-kun?" He asked, tone turning dangerous and low even in the quiet of the room. The two did nothing but stare at each other. _What can I do? I've fought and beaten Kabuto before, but not with others helping him._ The seal on his neck pulsed faintly as he thought about that fight. _I won against Kabuto and Orochimaru saw potential in me, marking me. Starting this mess._ The memory wasn't one he enjoyed, especially with what had happen when the seal started to try and take over his body. Even worse was when the Kyuubi had fought back against the Cursed Seals chakra.

"Dead." He stated, his hand leaving the handle of his blade and finding itself in his pocket. His cloak naturally fell back into place like a curtain on a stage. Kabuto didn't looked shocked or saddened by the news, merely annoyed. _That's all they saw him as: a body for Orochimaru to use._ "Too bad." Kabuto said wearily, no doubt dreading his master's reaction. "I'm surprised you left Konoha. Last I knew, you were fiercely loyal."

"Danzo tried to kill me." He said, anger finding it's way to the forefront. His eyes turning as red as flame. "Besides, Sasuke died by that pill your _best_ gave him." His spat the word best with underlining emphasis on what it was suppose to mean. Kabuto nodded, unaffected by the sudden flux of anger. "That pill unleashes the Cursed Seals chakra to a level that kills you if you aren't put inside a specially sealed coffin that puts you into a near-death state, allowing the seal to change and run its course."

Kabuto frowned, "It is very unfortunate that he died that way. What stopped the Sound Four from completing the sealing?" Naruto's fist clenched and his teeth gritted. "Anbu." He snapped the word so sharply that it hurt when his teeth clashed together. "Unfortunate." Kabuto said, looking at the ninja that stood silently behind him. "Go to Orochimaru-sama and report." One ninja nodded obediently and disappeared out the door. Kabuto turned back to Naruto, "Orochimaru-sama had gotten impatient, so he came to look for Sasuke despite my persistence that he rest." He sighed, shaking his head, "But he won't be happy about this news."

Kabuto's expression grew pointed, "He's going to want to see you." Kabuto stated seriously. Naruto tensed up, his stomach knotting. "I...I." _I don't want to._ He wanted to say, but that obviously wouldn't go smoothly. He tried to rack his brain for a way out, a witty and clever reason as to _why_ he couldn't do that. He didn't find anything. "Okay," He finally conceded after several tense seconds, eyes falling. Kabuto smiled, and despite him trying to make it look nice, it somehow only looked condescending. "Right this way then, " Said Kabuto as he stepped aside to show the door, arm going in an arc like he was giving Naruto directions to the only exit in the entire building. _Fuck this pric_ k!.

Naruto walked across the room, knowing all eyes were on him. He also knew it would be bad to start a fight here. It would be bad to start a fight at all, really. He pushed open the door, stepping onto the landing and down the steps to the muddy road. Rainwater quickly latched onto his cloak, adding an extra weight to his shoulders. He left his hood down, letting the water mat his hair against his head and slid down his face and neck. Light streamed from the windows and onto the road in images of the windows. Lanterns lined the doorways of all the buildings, shedding some light onto the road. The moon was covered in clouds and only rarely was allowed to peek out and shine it's beautiful silver light onto the world.

"He is this way, outside the village." Kabuto said, walking the way he pointed with his body angled so that he could look at Naruto. The Oto nin followed like a grey shadow. Naruto nodded, falling behind them and looking at the unknown Oto-nin's back. _I know Kabuto's capabilities, but this one I have no clue about...Heh, look at me, I never cared about how strong someone was before._ He paused in his thoughts when a villager darted frantically from an alleyway, across the street and into a shop. _I'm alone, so I can't rely on someone saving me or helping me...They could kill me if they wanted to._

Naruto saw a bridge over a river when they reached the edge of the village. Two lanterns hung from the archway of the red wood, the other arch holding two more. The path clearly diverged here, one fork leading completely outside the village, the other to a set of stone steps that took you up the mountain to all the other fields and houses. The bridge had to be wide enough to cross the busy traffic of carts and horses abreast, so Naruto found himself walking next to both of his forced companions.

On the other side of the bridge stood a figure underneath a tree in a loose kimono, the Oto-nin and others standing a ways back. The road took a left turn and on the right was a long stretch of trees. The lack of light made it hard to see the other figure, but they were completely bandaged from head to toe, only the eyes and messy sand-blonde hair showed.

When they got closer, Naruto saw definitive gold slitted eyes peering at him through the mask of bandages. The sides of the eyes crinkled in amusement. "It's been a while, Naruto-kun." Naruto shivered at the chilling sound that Orochimaru's smooth voice made. The clouds allowed the moon to look past them; the silver light it let through creating even more shadows from the leaves and trees. The whole thing would've looked beautiful if Orochimaru wasn't standing in the middle of it.

The clouds took away the moonlight again, leaving the area in darkness; the only light the dancing fires of the lanterns hanging from the arch on this side of the bridge. "It's is very terrible that Sasuke-kun died." Orochimaru continued like Naruto had actually greeted him back. "Those worthless pests of ninja that I sent to guard him were more useless than I thought." His eyes turned withering, the lines of his face under the bandages furious. "Where is his body?" Orochimaru said, calmly, his eyes molten gold melted by his anger. Naruto narrowed his eyes, fists clenching underneath his cloak. _He's asking about the eyes. Why else would he care about Sasuke's body?_

The rain continued to fall softly, just a backdrop to the whole grand scheme. "I...burned Sasuke's body." He said. The truth, which would lead to an assumption that put him in a comfortable position. The snake sannin's face said it all. Naruto would've smiled if the situation wasn't so serious. _Hahahaa!_ _He's so angry!_ He forced himself to frown to keep his mouth from going the exact opposite way. Orochimaru seethed in stoicness, but his bandaged hand clenched and unclenched, no doubt thinking of the lost potential. "You…" Orochimaru started, trailing off, eyes flickering away to some other abstract object to remain calm.

 _He thinks i'm the biggest dumbass there ever was! Ha! I wouldn't be surprised if he wanted to kill me!_

 _..._

He shifted his feet to look nervous, but he really was when he thought about how easily Orochimaru could slaughter him. _I stand no chance. He has me at his whim._ Orochimaru's eyes flickered back to him, calm and solid again. "That's...unfortunate." His stance was lazy again, a vast contrast to his forced demeanor from a few moments ago. "What are we going to do with him, Orochimaru-sama?" Kabuto inquired, walking past Naruto and standing in front of his master, the Oto-nin close behind.

Kabuto turned to look at him, a smirk on his face. "You did see potential in our young friend not a few weeks ago." Naruto's eyes widened, "Do you still think that he will be useful?" Orochimaru did not take on a thoughtful look, he merely answered. "I do." The bandages tensed around his mouth in a smile, "Will you come with us, Naruto-kun?"

Every single part of him wanted to run away, get as far away from here as possible. Yet he stood, knowing that Orochimaru wouldn't take no for an answer. _He would take me anyway...I have no choice._ He smiled, trying not to make it the mess of emotion that he felt. "I will...I don't have anywhere else to go." A thought came to his mind. So, he put on his best sneer and narrowed his eyes dangerously. "I want to kill Danzo anyway, so you can make me stronger." He snarled Danzo's name and formed a wicked smile at the end, like he was full of bloodlust.

He really did want to kill Danzo. Like, really, really bad.

Orochimaru and Kabuto exchanged glances, then looked back at him. Orochimaru nodded, the bandages still stretched. "Good, then let us be on our way then."

* * *

— _**A secret base in Ta no Kuni —**_

The tunnels that made up this base were deliberately confusing and annoying. He followed Orochimaru and Kabuto, the other Oto-nin having disappeared down another hallway. Torches lined the walls and he pitied the people who had to walk these maddening halls to light and relight the flames. The same winding indentions on the walls snaked and moved across the wall like waves with no rhyme or rhythm.

He had quickly grown bored, but refrained from talking because who would want to talk to these two creeps? So, he remained silent and bored as they walked, their footsteps and the stagnant flames popping and crackling the only sound that filled the halls.

Eventually doors started to line the wall. Plain unmarked brown doors with brass knobs. Even then no one entered or left theses new sights; the doors only becoming breaks in the waves on the walls. Finally, a figure shaded by the dim shadows appeared walking toward them and when he spotted them, he fell to his knees and bowed with his forehead to the ground. Naruto eyed the man as they passed, Orochimaru and Kabuto not even giving a flicker of a glance.

"How did you find me?" Naruto finally asked in the quiet dark. It was a question he had wanted to know since he had thought of it. Orochimaru did not stop walking, but he did chuckle, "You are in my country." He said the most obvious thing, which Naruto rolled his eyes at. "Keke, you would be surprised at how many spies are integrated into normal society by village leaders." Naruto nodded so he showed he understood.

They passed more people, some bowing as low as the first, most just bowing at the waist and murmuring a greeting. All the while Orochimaru did not even acknowledge them. The rooms became occupied and used, scientists in white coats scurrying out and into the doors with clipboard, too busy to bow, but not enough to not welcome their master back with quick words. Orochimaru did not seem to mind.

They reached a double door, taller and made of a different wood than the others. Kabuto opened both doors, allowing them to swing against the inner wall. They stepped into the room. The sight of it was breath stoppingly morbid. There were shelves everywhere, with tubes full of many different things that Naruto couldn't even begin to guess at. They were all disgusting body parts, if he had to guess. There were tubbed animals with horrid mutations and the tangy smell of blood was like a serious aftertaste that would forever stay with the room.

Orochimaru turned, looking at him. "So, before you learn from me, we have to do something." Orochimaru started, eyes glowing,"You signed the toad contract, so that means Jiraiya could summon you at anytime he chose." Naruto's eyes widened. "So, I'll show you how to terminate your contract." Naruto wanted to scream, cry, hiss, anything. He wanted to object so bad that he would fight the two right here and now. Yet he bit his lip, swallowed any dissent and nodded a single nod. "Now, all you have to do is go through the same seals as when you usually summon, but at the end you add these seals." He went through the signs, then added three more.

Naruto nodded, knowing he couldn't do anything about this if Orochimaru was going to train him thinking he didn't want to kill him. He drew blood from his thumb, went through the seals, added the new ones, gathered enough chakra for what he guessed was appropriate for the size, then slammed his hand against the ground. A poof of towering smoke sprang to life from under his hand and the feeling of something cylindrical replaced the cold stone of the floor. He lifted his hand and remained crouched, looking down at the summoning contract scroll.

"Good, now open it." Naruto did as told with a show of not feeling reluctant, but his heart was heavy in his chest. The aged scroll rolled open, revealing what was inside: vertical rows of names, each written in blood. He looked at his own name, scrawled in haste and excitement. It looked so foreign now. _Have I really changed that much?_ No, he had just grown up a bit, seen the world through the eyes of those that lost.

"Now take your blood and slash out your name." Orochimaru instructed, watching closely. Naruto bit again at the open wound on his thumb to get more blood flow and dragged it across his name. The way it made him feel felt like he was cutting off a part of himself. When the crude diagonal line was through, the blood seared, then hissed, fading and creating a small rising smoke tower. The dull color that was left of his name looked like the names of the dead. The only one that remained a bright fresh red was Jiraiya's.

Naruto looked at his father's name, faded like his own, but the slash that ran diagonally down Naruto's was not present on Minato's. It was like a scar of proof, he realized, meant to show that he had abandoned a contract through anything but the greatest ender of death.

The whole process of it left him drained and tired, filled with anger and sadness.

He rolled the scroll up keeping a hand on it when it was complete. "That would be a useful thing to have, Orochimaru-sama." Kabuto remarked from his position behind Naruto and next to the snake. "It would...Naruto-kun, hand it here." Naruto shook in anger, his body literally shook only once. Naruto stood, the scroll disappearing the same as it had appeared. "Sorry, what did you say?" He turned around, tilting his head innocently and trying to look ignorant. Kabuto sneered, preparing to say something, but Orochimaru spoke first. "Don't worry about it, Naruto-kun." Orochimaru did not show his annoyance.

They walked the halls again and said nothing. They eventually came to a door much like the others. "You will stay in this room here." Kabuto motioned to the door with a hand. Naruto looked at him, then Orochimaru, then the door, frowning. "Get some rest for now, i'll make sure your needs are provided for." Kabuto smiled wickedly, "Tomorrow, we begin training." Naruto did not move for a breath, but then he turned the doorknob and entered into the room. Closing the door behind him, he sighed, rubbing a hand across his face. _How am I going to get out of this?_

* * *

— _**Naruto —**_

— _Half a year later —_

Despite getting free reign to wander all of the hideouts, Orochimaru kept an almost obsessive watch on Naruto; him or Kabuto appearing almost immediately when he got even remotely close to an exit. He was also not allowed on solo missions. Which he was okay with since after the first few missions, he realized he didn't want to keep doing missions for Orochimaru; all of the missions had been twisted in their own way.

One had been to capture a small town where it was said a cure to a disease was found in the body of a young girl and since Orochimaru wanted to know if it was true, he had the girl taken away and the village slaughtered so no one would talk or take a try at foolish revenge. The other missions weren't any better.

The news of Konoha's declaration of war had reached him after a week of his time with Orochimaru, and over the past few months he had been restless in his fury. He wanted to stop this war. He wanted to kill Danzo. Yet he couldn't do that…yet. Still, despite his growing power, he was still restless knowing people were dying because of Danzo.

A clone came at him quickly and he swiftly got rid of it with firm backward thrown elbow to the neck. He ducked underneath a sword swing. Swinging his own sword, turning with the motion, and cutting through the torsos of two other clones including the one that had attacked him. A fourth blocked his slashed with his own sword, but a kick to the knee sent the clone to the ground; a punch to the face ended his short existence.

Naruto twirled his sword behind his back, effectively blocking a diagonal cut. He spun his body, using his free hand to catch the wrist of another clone that was preparing a downward slash and returned a slash at the clone who had tried to cut his back. After that one was dealt with, he broke the others wrist and kicked it in the chest, the force of it disrupting the clone into a cloud immediately. He jumped into the air when he felt an overwhelming number had gathered around him, flipping away from some sailing kunai and shuriken that lodged themselves into the ceiling. He landed a bit way away from the fifty or so clones.

"Thats enough for now, Naruto."

Naruto paused and so did all of his clones. Naruto looked up to a balcony that overlooked the training field. Orochimaru stood there, his normal face and hair having replaced the features of the person's body he was using. The clones dispersed in mass and he just narrowed his eyes. He sighed when they were all gone, seeing all the flaws of his technique from an outside perspective. "I must admit, the chokuto fits your style surprisingly well." Orochimaru said, leaning against the rails with his arms flush on top of them.

Naruto put the edgeless side of the sword on his shoulder and smirked, "It's a quick weapon." He agreed, placing a hand on the purple rope belt that held his clothes together. Now, don't get him wrong, the clothes he wore now had not been an appealing idea at first, but once he put them on he had been quite surprised by how comfortably loose they were.

He wore black pants, over which hangs a blue cloth that covers him from his stomach to his knees and which he secures with a purple rope belt, and a white long-sleeved shirt kept open at the torso and black arm guards that cover his forearms. Secure in his belt, on his lower back, was the scabbard for his chokuto.

"And Kabuto doesn't think you clever or quick, just a mere brute." Orochimaru smiled, his smile secretive. Naruto snorted, _He doesn't think of me as much of anything but a distraction to his master and an obstacle to the same masters attention_. Over the past six months, Orochimaru had been quite focused on Naruto, seemingly realizing the untapped potential the blonde had.

"I would teach you a new jutsu, but I have something to attend to." He really did sound sorry, which wasn't really enduring in any way he thought it might of been. "It's midnight, get some sleep." Orochimaru pushed off the railing, disappearing from sight without hearing anything back. Naruto snorted, twirled around his sword and, in one smooth motion, sheathed it. He laid his hand on the top of the pommel, a scowl on his face.

Footsteps were heard behind him. "What the fuck do you want?" He shouted, turned, and looked at the approaching figure. It was Kimimaro. "I was just watching." He said offhandedly, his pale hand waving away any accusation. "Well, shit. I would've loved to put on a show if I knew I had an audience." He snapped mockingly. In truth he had already known that Kimimaro was there from the start. Kimimaro knew this too.

Orochimaru had quickly picked up on Naruto's sensory ability and had be quite persistant in training him in it. Naruto was happy he had.

The pale man did not smile or make any expression, really. "I wanted to tell you something, Uzumaki." Kimimaro said slowly. Naruto turned away, uninterested. "I know you want to kill Orochimaru." Naruto stopped turning, but it was nonchalant, so you couldn't say he looked like he was caught red handed. Naruto turned back around and looked the man in his teal eyes; his eyes a hard grey-blue. "You know nothing, Kaguya." He said, deathly calm, making sure to show fury so it looked like he was truly angry at even the slightest accusation of being considered a traitor.

"I don't?" Kimimaro rose an eyebrow then turned on the ball of his foot and walked off, never showing a hint of emotion. "We will see." Kimimaro said as he left through a door. Naruto gritted his teeth, "Fuckin' uptight cunt!" He yelled after him, wanting to show true anger. He scowled after nothing was said back. Turning, he walked across the field and exited through a door opposite of the one Kimimaro left through.

He went directly to his room. Making sure the door was locked and then slid down the door onto his butt, back planted firmly against the door. He shook, feeling anxiety flood him. What if they really did know and were merely biding their time for a chance to get rid of him? Even worse: What if they had found out about Sasuke's eyes? Both were not good, and he was only more anxious than he was before.

He pushed off the ground, going to his bag too quickly for it to look calm. He opened the bag and reached in. He sighed when he felt what he was looking for. A cloth in the shape of a cylinder. Sasukes eyes. Naruto pulled the covered tube out and held it to his chest, shaking with fear and relief. He slipped into his bed, suddenly calm. No, he had made sure to do everything to get suspicion off his back. Which was hard, since Orochimaru was naturally suspicious. Even then, he knew he wasn't going to be fully trusted, ever.

Sleep found him tired and weary and he let it slowly pull him into its hug. He had a hard time sleeping nowadays; With all the nerves. He sighed, falling completely into the embrace of sleep.

* * *

— _**Sakura —**_

— _Six more months later—_

Tsunade was relentless with her training. Making Sakura wake up at the crack dawn, barraging her with strength training, chakra control exercises, and books upon books of medical text. With the war with Suna in its infancy, the Hokage is pressuring genin to become as strong as possible if the war become bad enough to where they would be needed. So, everyone was training hard. Yet, Sakura did not want to go to war. Almost two-thirds of the general population didn't want to either. Even more so was the amount of reluctant shinobi who only fought to obey the orders of their Hokage.

Most of the engagements that had happened where inside the borders of Kaze no Kuni and even then the amount of prisoners that were captured was shocking and understandable at best. No one wanted this war except Danzo and his supporters. Sakura wanted to scoff and spit at the thought of supporting Danzo. Yet people still did.

"Don't get distracted!"

Sakura slid out of her straight backpedal, dipping behind the tree she would've otherwise hit if she hadn't slid aside and jumped back. _Boom! Crack! Creeeeck!_ Sakura jump out from behind the tree and made a deadpanned expression as Tsunade punched the tree, breaking the large oak like it was merely a twig. However, Sakura did not let the display of monstrous strength stop her movements. Tsunade advanced and Sakura dipped her head away from a right hook, lifted her leg away from a low kick meant to sweep her onto the ground and then decided to throw a punch, which was easily swiped away.

Sakura gained some distance away, sweating and looking half full of terror and half full of amusement. "You've gotten quicker." Tsunade complemented, coming out of her crouched position. Sakura smiled, coming out of her own fighting stance; reaching up a hand and rubbing her jaw when she felt pain from the movement. A motley bruise of black and purple ran the length of her jawbone and she winced at her own touch. The bruise was a wicked contrast to her pale skin. "I'd rather not take my chances with a close call again." Sakura said dryly, glaring slightly.

Tsunade had the decency to looked embarrassed. "Come on, I wasn't trying to break your jaw or anything. Besides, its a bruise, no broken bones!" Sakura lowered her hand, "It looked like you were trying to blow half my face off with the amount of intensity you were coming at me." Tsunade snorted, crossing her hands underneath her breasts. "Whatever." Tsunade waved a hand, dismissing the topic, then returned her hand back to its position with the other.

"Let's be done today. I need to get a heavy drink that'll knock me out and into the deepest pit of hell." Tsunade rubbed her head, obviously irritated. Sakura shook her head, knowing why she was frustrated. "Don't complain tomorrow then." She said despite knowing the futility of her words. "Sure, see ya' kid!" Tsunade promptly walked off with a simple wave. Sakura didn't want to go home just yet, so she decided to sit down on the conveniently fallen tree. She idly broke small pieces off a stick, flicking them away, eyes distant. Eventually it was all gone and she was stretching, feet sliding across the grass, hands on the tree placed slightly behind her so she wouldn't slip. Her lithe muscles were defined from the action and she looked as relaxed as a cat bathing in the sun light, eyes closed.

Eventually, her mind wandered to the subject that had been plaguing her mind for the past year. The war. It was hard to fight one when you didn't truly want to. Tsunade and Jiraiya had fervently opposed the war, even going as far as not even participating. Now, if they were regular shinobi, then they probably would have been branded as cowards and traitors, then kicked out of Konoha or maybe even killed for the knowledge and power that they would have against it.

However, they were Sannin, students to the Sandaime Hokage and holders of the Will of Fire. You did not try to force your will on the most powerful shinobi in the village; both eligible to hold the Hokage seat.

She pulled out a headband, Naruto's headband. The deep and ugly scar that was cut across the leaf symbol was almost like a metaphor to the scar that had been left on her heart that night. She ran her thumb over the metal, it only feeling rough when the pad of her thumb ran over the thin scar. Unshed tears formed in her eyes and her lip quivered. "Naruto..." She whispered and put the headband to her chest, bending over it and sobbing.

"Sakura Haruno." Sakura jumped at her name, sitting up in shock, tears flying into the air from the motion. Standing in front of her was an Anbu with a purple colored demon mask and sandy brown hair."Yes?" She asked, her hands clutching the headband to her chest like she had been caught with something illegal. The Anbu made no acknowledgement to the headband or her tears, merely taking a few steps in her direction. "The Hokage wants to see you." Sakura stood, a confused look on her pretty face. She wiped at her eyes, "O..kay?" The Anbu closed the distance, placing a startling hand on her shoulder.

The world spun and they were teleported to the Hokage tower. She had used a shunshin only twice before and only just recently. Either way, they all still left her dizzy and queasy. The hand fell and Sakura stood looking at the Hokage behind his desk. He signed papers, eye focused on what he was doing.

He did not acknowledge her.

She shifted her feet after a single minute passed. Biting her lip, she glanced around, trying to find a way to start the conversation as politely as possible. "I've heard you are a very skilled kunoichi, becoming quite strong in the past year." He looked up at her then, placing his pen down. "I won't keep you long, but, I have an offer for you, Sakura Haruno."

"How would you like to become an Anbu trainee?"

* * *

 **Hehe, you know you want to review.**


	5. Bone

**_Sorry for the wait, was a little down lately because I was deciding if I should delete and rewrite a story on another profile of mine._**

 ** _Despite that I hope you enjoy!_**

* * *

 _ **Ghosts of the Past**_

 _ **Chapter 5: Bone**_

* * *

 _Orochimaru was a man of high curiosity, but of low morality. He wanted all the secrets of the world. No, not because he was totally greedy, but because he was scared of the world, scared of the unknown. I believe this stemmed from his childhood, when he lost his parents, not knowing what to do next. Not wanting the same fate, not knowing when death will take him, he seeked out immortality in fear of the unknown._

* * *

— _**Sakura —**_

"It is a tough decision." Danzo said, leaning back into his chair and watching her with a hard, brittle, coal eye. "You won't become an actual Anbu member for several years, but you will be trained extensively for the job." He paused, letting her think. "This is an honor, but, I don't know how to respond." Danzo nodded, then his shoulders lifted in a way that looked like a shrug, but wasn't. "I understand, but that doesn't matter. You don't have a choice." Sakura made a confused face, then her heart dropped. He stood from his desk and started to walk around it.

Suddenly, something strange happened. Dozens of seals glowed on the walls, each spaced out a foot apart. They glowed blue with horizontal pillars of light shooting from their design. Then, the designs ran up and down the walls, sliding across the ceiling and floor like cracks, connecting with the design of the seals on the other side of the room in the middle of the ceiling and floor.

The outside world became silent. A sullen wind that had made a low howl; the shaking of the trees and their leaves rubbing together; a stray shutter opening and closing from the wind with a creaky hinge. All of them strangely silent...

"What's going on?" Danzo stood in front of her now, only two feet away. His expression remained calm, yet the proximity and her fear made her step back. She was stopped by a chest of muscle. Hands grabbed her arms and forcefully made her stand still. She molded her chakra and her muscles tensed. She gritted her teeth at the same time, her eyes narrow. She was prepared to beat the shit out of the demon masked Anbu, but from the Anbu's hands sprouted more black seals. The seals ran up and down and around her arms like ink snakes.

She couldn't move anymore, the seals had paralyzed her.

"Lucky you, Haruno. You get to test out a new seal that I made." Danzo pulled out a brush and inkwell. "Do you think you can get away with this?" She growled, fist slowly clenching, her will fighting the seals suppression. "Of course I can." He pulled the cork out and dipped the brush into the ink. "You won't get to talk." He looked thoughtful for a second.

"I wonder where I should put it?" He said, holding the brush over the inkwell, droplets falling back into the pool of ink. His eyes ran over her body, inspecting it. You couldn't use an analogy to describe how he looked at her. That was how little he thought of her, "How 'bout here?" The demon masked Anbu put a fingertip to her chest, right between her breast. It was _way_ too close for comfort.

Her eyes widened in panic and fear. "No…" She said quietly, shocked and appalled at what was happening. "No, no, no." The Anbu grabbed the collar of her shirt and pulled, "NO!" The fabric ripped down to her navel and fell off her shoulders to her elbows. "Stop it! NO! NO! NO!" She tried to fight the confines of the seal, yet it did not budge, just a heavy weight against her skin. Tears fell down her cheeks and if she wasn't frozen, then she would've fell to her knees to curl up and cover herself.

Yet she stood, wide eyed and crying.

Danzo put the brush against her skin, droplets falling onto the floor at the motion. She closed her eyes, sobbing. The ink was cold, but infused with chakra, making her skin tingle from the effects. The brush slid across the middle of her chest right before cleavage. The seal was small, but two brushes to the sides made the seal look like it had wings that wrapped slightly over the top of her breasts."I should explain to you what's happening right now." The Anbu whispered into her ear, too close. "This little seal will control you. You will be under Danzo's control and not even know it. You won't even remember anything."

The brush left her skin, and the place where the ink now sat was burning. "My Kotoamatsukami will not be ready for a year, so we will have to do things this way." Danzo put the ink brush into the inkwell and turned around and put the two items on his desk. "It's a shame I couldn't do the jutsu on Naruto or Sasuke. I had to waste it on the foolish Daimyo." He shook his head as he turned around. "Ah, well. You will be perfect for what I intend. Now, don't worry, it's only temporary. You should feel honored to be the first one this is used on. It really is a pity that Sasuke or Naruto had to be killed before I made this seal."

Those word felt like a stab in the gut. Her legs shook, her lip trembled. "You're lying!" She screamed, anger and fury filling her. "Am I?" Danzo formed the ram seal, face still blank. She was unable to fully understand if Naruto and Sasuke were dead because Sakura's eyes widened when foreign chakra serged through her coils, all the way up to her head. The chakra forced itself through hers and caused a blinding pain. She screamed. The pain surged from her chest, up her neck, and to her head. The pain became numbing. And, finally, everything went black.

* * *

— _**Naruto —**_

— _Two years later —_

He reached out to touch the fragment of his chakra. It was quite easy if you had sensory abilities, but it was hard to complete the rest of the process. See, your chakra is a part of you, no matter where it is. It's unique to you —it's a soul, if you want to get spiritual. So, all you had to do was reach out and find it. You didn't have to attach the fragment to the main pool by a string of chakra, all you had to do was activate that little piece of your chakra and Voila!

Well, it wasn't that simple when you had to work with space-time. Space-time is a complicated thing, and the complexity of the seal you had to use to work it was even more complicated. You had to appreciate the genius of the Nidaime and even more so to the Yondaime for improving and perfecting the workings of the Hiraishin no Jutsu.

So, Naruto sat on his bed, staring intently at the kunai imbedded in the wall over his door. A tag with the seal on it was hanging from some ninja wire from the ring on the kunai's pommel. The tag spun slowly, seemingly unaffected by his proddings.

He was so close, just on the edge of pushing through. Basically, this was what the Hiraishin did: Create an arificial dimension that was separate from the actual world that only lasted a split second. What you then did was create a gateway between you and your fragmented chakra and jump through. The property of the seal created a split second timeframe within the dimension that speed you up when you jumped through it. You were spit out the other side, and you pretty much teleported!

Fascinating, really.

It was a very conscious thought to be manipulating his chakra through the seal right now, but eventually he hoped to be able to just do it instantly. It seems easy when explained, but it really isn't. The seal provided the framework, but the amount of chakra you used and the control you held over it was another important factor. Too much chakra and too little control, nope. Too little chakra and too much control, nope. Too little of both? Too much of both? Nope and nope. You had to find the right amount, have the control and timing down, else it didn't work.

It was a pain in the ass.

He had been training in secret for the past few months. Since he wasn't able to use his clone training trick, he had to do it himself. Which was boring and hard, but he couldn't really complain.

A knock on the door broke his concentration. He sighed and dipped his head. _Why does it have to be so hard?_ Another knock. _Yeah, yeah._ He put his bare feet against the cold stone floor. He padded his way over to the door, then put his hand onto the doorknob and made a annoyed face. He turned the knob and started talking. "What do— " When the door was only slightly open, white spikes split the wood of the door and tried to impel him. He yelled and jumped away from the door as the white spikes became even bigger. They chased him in his backward retreat. "Oh, shit! Oh, shit! Oh— Ow!" He tripped over the side of his bed and fell onto it. Since the bed was against the wall, he hit the back of his head against the rocky wall. Luckily, the white spikes stabbed the wall.

Getting to look at the white spikes closely, he recognized them as bone. He gritted his teeth, chest heaving in breaths of air through his nose. There was only one person capable of doing this. "What the fuck!" He yelled as he slid over the edge of the bed and onto his knees, looking at his bone filled door. An audible _crack_ sounded out from behind the door. A bone breaking. Starting at the door, cracks formed on the bone, shooting toward the ends stabbed into the wall. Tiny bone fragments fell from the spikes, hitting the ground like snow. Then, in a single breath, all of the spikes collapsed into little white bone fragments.

Naruto shook some from his hair, glaring at the door and whose face he could see through one of the holes. Suddenly, the door flew off it's hinges, flying across the door in a rather acrobatic way. Naruto's eyes widened as the door headed right for him. "Crap!" He jumped to the right just in time. The door hit his bed, breaking both and sending shards of wood all over the place. Naruto stood slowly, letting the dust clear.

Standing in his doorway was Kimimaro. But, something was wrong. He was too pale and blood covered his chest, shirt, chin, and the very edges of his sleeve. His shoulders slumped, his mouth was opened in a pant, a thick sheen of sweat covered his whole body. "See, Uzumaki. Even sick I could kill you." Kimimaro said, taking a step, but then putting one hand on the doorframe and the other over his mouth.

Kimimaro fell into a coughing fit, the sound coming from his chest was weezy and full of blockage. Blood flowed through his fingers and into a deep crimson pool on the floor. He slumped like he was going to collapse, but then his back straightened like a post. "I won't allow you to kill Orochimaru!" He yelled, holding out his bloodied hand, the sleeve of his shirt moving like snakes in a bag. From the sleeve came more tendrils of bones, each firing right at Naruto. Naruto jumped out of the way and across the other side of the room. He grabbed his chokuto and jumped again, away from some branching bone.

Naruto charged Kimimaro, unsheathing his sword by swinging it and sending the scabbard flying from the naked blade. Kimimaro held up his other hand and more bones shot from that sleeve. The columns of bones came from front and behind, but he merely charged. Both separate columns sprouted more and more tendrils of bone, each diverging onto their target. _Well ain't this some shit!_

Now, Naruto is one of those people with that so called 'grace under pressure'. He usually does the impossible when no one thinks he can even do the possible. Don't get it wrong, what he did to get out of this situation was not some feat of impossibility, but one of extreme luck. How he achieved it was with something that confused even him. He had had this feeling before in those high stress situations. The perfect clarity, the understanding and perfect knowing as to how something should be done. In theses moments, it was like everything shifted into their snug and perfect places.

He took control of his fragmented chakra, and before he knew it, a second dimension of a split-second sucked him into itself and spit him out of the other end. It felt like going through a snake's mouth and coming out its ass. Which he had come close to doing during the chunin exams. Going through the dimension did not feel suffocating or crushing, but...snug. Not to be cliche, but like a glove — or a perfect pair of shoes or maybe even some tight underwear if you wanted to get creative.

Either way, he appeared on the wall, immediately latching himself to the wall diagonally with his chakra. Just in time too. The bones crashed together in a sickening grating sound when they intertwined like a nest of snakes. Naruto sighed in his crouched position, wiping his forehead of sweat. His other hand held his sword, and it looked like he was placing the blade flat on the wall by the position he was in.

"That was new, Uzumaki." Kimimaro said, looking up at him from underneath the door frame. "Well, I probably wouldn't be here if I wasn't a little spontaneous." Naruto smiled at the withering look Kimimaro gave him. Kimimaro dropped his head, and broke the bones that sprouted from his arms, the tendrils breaking into shards. "Do you want to know how I know about you wanting to kill Orochimaru?" He stepped into the room a few steps, back turned.

"I know— " Suddenly he fell into another coughing fit, bending over and openly vomiting a large pool of blood. Kimimaro panted and gasped for breath and Naruto felt a little bad. He had had to act mean to all the people here, because he wanted them to fear him so they wouldn't question his motives. Obviously, this hadn't worked with Kimimaro.

"I know...because you…." Kimimaro panted, his blood filled lungs making it hard for him to speak. He wheezed, a blood droplet falling from his lip and joining the rest of the crimson blood on the floor. He stood and turned around. Lips, chin, and teeth red and wet. "You came here thinking you're sneaky, trying to seem like you're on Orochimaru-sama's side. But I see deceit in your eyes, even if Orochimaru-sama doesn't!" Another droplet fell from his chin as he glared.

Naruto narrowed his eyes. No, he shouldn't feel bad for him. "Really?" Naruto said darkly, feinting anger at the accusation. However, inside he was filled with anxiety. Had he told anyone else about his thoughts? Naruto shook his head, _That doesn't matter now. He's trying to kill me before he dies._

 _Maybe they'll think he's trying to validate his worth by proving he is strong and capable, even sick._

Naruto plucked the Hiraishin kunai from the wall and put the hilt between his teeth. He put his chokuto into a two handed grip, grinning around the kunai. "Com' 'nd get ith. " He said around the kunai, pumping chakra to his feet and launching himself from the wall. Kimimaro was quick to act, a bone sprouting from his shoulder. He grabbed the bone and pulled it out, blocking Naruto's sword in a forceful parry.

Both blades slid downward and Naruto crouched low, using his momentum to fall quicker. Kimimaro pulled his bone sword over his head, the bone having grinded against Naruto's sword as he pulled back up. Still gripping both hands on the hilt, the blade close to his body, Naruto swung his sword up and back at Kimimaro's returning slash. Both blades hit, Naruto's sword notching itself into the bone.

Naruto let go of his sword and put both hands on the ground, spinning and sweeping Kimimaro off his feet. Kimimaro fell and lost his sword and the one latched to it. As Kimimaro was falling, Naruto shot up from his position on the ground. He grabbed his sword hilt and pried the bone sword off the edge. He spun the hilt of his chokuto in the palm of his hand, putting it in a reverse grip. He stabbed downward at the fallen Kimimaro's chest, but Kimimaro beat him to an attack.

Naruto was put face first into the ground by a kick to the ankle. He dropped both swords and the Hiraishin kunai fell out next to him. Kimimaro grabbed his sword and rolled away, turning back around to face Naruto. Naruto pushed off the ground — grabbing the Hiraishin kunai and pocketing it — with one hand. He rubbed his forehead. "Do you think i'm that easy?" Kimimaro glared. "Well, I might've thought this was a dream with all the emotions you've been showing, but…" He removed his hand away from his forehead and showed his bloody palm. "I would like to think I would have woken up at this point."

Kimimaro narrowed his eyes, then spit blood onto the floor. The seal on his chest then swirled, spread, and started to cover his body. After the black ink came a color that changed the pale color of his skin to a heavy brown. He became demonic looking. For god's sake he even had a tail! The bone blade he had sharpened and hardened, becoming like an actual sword. Bones sprouted out all over his body along with the changes of the Cursed Seal.

"Well, I can't say you've looked better." Naruto remarked as he swept down and picked up his chokuto. He held it loosely, so that the tip tilted downward toward the ground. His expression turned grim. He sighed and closed his eyes. He pumped his chakra into the air, attaching it to the air all around. It was a new technique, one that had been inspired by Gaara. But, instead of sand, he used wind.

Kimimaro jumped toward him in one solid leap. Naruto opened his eyes as he got closer. He smirked. Kimimaro was pushed to the ground onto his knees, only covering half the distance. The air shifted noticeably, turning heavy with chakra and movement. Yet the wind moved sharp and quick despite its seeming weight, cutting up Kimimaro all over. Kimimaro screamed as multiple lacerations were cut all over his body by the invisible blades of wind.

Blood splattered all over the walls and floor with a horrid _splat._ Kimimaro continued to kneel on the ground, panting and groaning, wounds visibly closing, bones regrowing. "I don't have enough control to cut very deep yet." Naruto said calmly. "You should feel lucky, I haven't used this technique on anyone." He moved the wind, sending a large amount of wind blades at the downed Kimimaro.

More cuts filled his body. More blood was splattered onto the wall and ground by the force of the wind. Kimimaro screamed as the barrage continued. Then, Naruto stopped the wind, letting him fall to the floor in his own pool of blood. He laid there, doing nothing. He coughed, more blood flooding from his mouth and down into the large blood pool below.

Naruto sighed, running his free hand through his hair. Naruto turned toward the door, preparing to explain what had happened. He could feel chakra signals coming toward this location. "Don't...think you can…*cough*...win with just that." Naruto turned back around as Kimimaro pushed himself up with one shaky arm. His head shot up and a menacing look was in his eyes. His other arm was planted into the ground. Kimimaro smirked.

" _ **Sawarabi no Mai!"**_

Naruto took a step back as the world shook. He looked around as the room cracked and broke apart into chunks. He looked down and lifted his foot when a large, tree sized bone started to shoot from the ground. He slid away, dodging more as he slid his body across the ground. Kimimaro laughed hysterically, blood falling out of his mouth as his laugh wheezed from his lungs.

 _I have to escape!_

He shot off the ground with a burst of chakra, simultaneously forming a Rasengan in his hand. He outstretched his hand toward the ceiling and closed his eyes.

" _ **Rasengan!"**_

Thousands of white spikes shot out of the ground.

* * *

— **Sakura —**

She stood looking at the Konoha memorial stone. New etchings having been done just hours before. She did not know them, but she grieved all the same. She did not cry. She had long ago forced herself not to. She made herself strong. And in doing so, it felt like a piece of her was dead. "You're back here again." The familiar voice of Kakashi Hatake said as he walked up next to her, hands in his pockets. "Be careful, you might become me." Kakashi joked, but you could tell it was humorless.

Sakura smiled, "So, i'm guessing you being back is a bad thing." He was supposed to be out in the field for another month. Kakashi sighed and ran a hand through that gravity defiant hair of his. "Yes, Suna surrendered. Well, some of it did. The Kazekage has gone into hiding and the Wind Daimyo has been killed. I have no doubt Gaara will still fight."

A silence passed and they said nothing, merely staring at the memorial stone. "Do you think they will come back?" She asked into the silence, so quietly that it was likely the wind might take it away. "I don't know." Kakashi replied, equally quiet. "I thought I understood them well enough, but what they did proved me wrong." Kakashi chuckled bitterly. "Hell, I thought I had simple, goofy Naruto all written out in a neat two page pamphlet. Sasuke was much more complicated than Naruto, but underneath he was actually quite easy to figure out."

Sakura smiled as memories of her teammates came to mind. The ache in her chest had become bearable, but it was still heavy and violent. You don't get over loss, you just learn to live with it. "Do you think they've changed?" She asked, a bitter-sweet smile turning the corners of her lips. "Hmmm, that's a good question." Kakashi turned and gave her an eye smile. "Next time you meet them, make sure to get a good long impression of them. Hell, who knows, you just might begin to understand them more than I ever did."

Sakura laughed lightly and Kakashi chuckled.

After a few second of silence, Kakashi laid a hand on her shoulder. "How are the blackouts?" He asked, grey eye colored with concern. She shook her head, "they've become more frequent and the amount of time forgotten is becoming longer." Before, it was a few hours, then a few days. Now, weeks. Once even a month. She was in a mess of panic, trying to figure out what was going on.

"Have you asked other people about what you did during those times." She nodded quickly, eyes wide with frustration. "Multiple times. They all say the same thing: 'I didn't see you then' or 'You simply disappeared' or something on those lines." She was shaking with frustration and he just watched. "Have you talked to Tsunade?" Sakura shook her head, obviously not liking the idea. "She would dot on me like a worried sick mother. Besides, I don't want her to be even more stressed out than she already is."

Kakashi nodded, disapproving her reasoning, but accepting it anyway. "Well, maybe I should watch over you for a while?" He suggested, squeezing her shoulder comfortingly. She thought about it for a few seconds, but then she shook her head. "No, sensei, I can't do that to you." Sometimes, she would go to sleep and then wake up again a few days later, seemingly disappearing, according to her parents. They had been worried the first time asked about it, but —realizing her mistake— she told them she was called out on important missions quite spontaneously. Being civilians, they accepted the explanation.

Other people weren't that easy. Tsunade kept a very close watch on her and would always note her skipping lessons —knowing that Sakura wasn't one to skip out on important things. Sakura came up with a lot of excuses, and they were accepted, but not believed. So, these random blackouts had a serious effect on her life.

Kakashi watched her for a single moment, but then nodded his head, dropping his hand. "Okay, just let me know if you need anything." Said Kakashi in his nonchalant and almost dismissive tone. But she knew he was worried. Sakura smiled, knowing her sensei better than he thought she did. _Your pamphlet may not be two paged, but I understand you, sensei._

* * *

— _**Naruto —**_

Naruto sat on the branch of a tree, chest heaving greedily. A field of bones had sprouted all around him, cutting and wrapping around trees. Naruto gulped as he looked around the forest of tree and bone. Turning his head, he saw something that caught his eye. _My bag!_ He pushed up onto his feet and ran up the side of the tree and jumped onto the tip of a bone spike, bounding off the tips until he was at his bag. He attached himself to the side of the bone and gingerly pulled his bag up the bone.

The spike had gone through the bag, but after some frantic searching, Naruto was relieved when he found what he was looking for was intact. Sasuke's eyes and his parents scroll. The rest of his stuff had fallen out, but he was only interested in the safety of these two items.

After safely tucking them away, he looked around, trying to find a suitable place to jump down to. The whole place was covered, not a single spot of dirt or grass could be seen. Sensing chakra signatures gathering around the bone field, he decided to make his own space. Forming a Rasengan in one hand and putting his other hand flat on the bone, he pushed off the bone into the air with his charka.

He went several yards above the bone, getting a glimpse of the hundred yards of bone that went in all directions. He moved his body so he was upside down, falling straight toward the sharp tip of the bone spike he had boosted off of. The bone crumbed easily against the power of his attack, being worn away to the very base. Naruto now stood on the flat base of the bone, surrounded by bones. _This probably wasn't a good idea._

He formed another Rasengan, ready to make his little area larger. But behind him he sensed chakra. Spinning on his foot, he shoved the Rasengan into Kimimaro's gut. The sphere tore away flesh and bone. Naruto met the bone user's eyes. Kimimaro screamed and spit up blood as the Rasengan twisted through him and blew out his back and the spike that he had grown out of.

Naruto stepped back and placed his back to the spike behind him, looking at Kimimaro and what remained of his spike. The entire top part of Kimimaro's spike had been blown away, creating fragments that floated down onto them like snow. The only part of the spike that remained was the part that Kimimaro had grown out of.

Kimimaro vomited blood, coughing and wheezing. Naruto panted, just watching. Kimimaro slumped like a useless marionette, silent. Silence was all that was left of their battle. Naruto watched for a few seconds, but then decided that he really was dead. He slid down the bone and sat, sighing.

But, suddenly, Kimimaro started to chuckle. "Heheheh!" He shot up, arms wide and smile crazy, "I've got you now, Uzumaki!" Naruto was about to move, but then suddenly sharp bones shot from the spike behind him and through his shoulders, curling and re-entering through his chest. He screamed, blood soaking his shirt. "Ahhhhhhhhh!"

From Kimimaro's palm formed a long bone, sharp and menacing. Kimimaro stepped from the spike —his body reforming to normal— stumbling, but shooting up straight after coughing. The wicked smile on Kimimaro's face was quite disturbing along with his laughter. "Ahahahahaha!" Slowly, Kimimaro took painful shuffling steps toward him. The pain in his shoulders and chest was making him faint. He forced himself to stay awake. So, he gritted his teeth and released his chakra, spreading it into the air.

Kimimaro lifted his blade over his head, "You...lose!" The blade came down in a slash, the wind shifted, and Naruto yelled at the top of his lungs. "Ahhhhh!"

Then all was silence and blackness.

* * *

 _ **I changed the time Danzo's Kotoamatsukami recharges because I figured it would be dumb (and a plot hole) if he could've just used it on Naruto and Sasuke instead of killing them. Also, I wouldn't have the start to the plot.**_

 ** _Kimimaro didn't really figure out that Naruto wanted to kill Orochimaru. Why he wanted to will be explained in the next chapter._**

 ** _That's about it for now._**

 ** _I hope you enjoyed! Don't forget to review!_**


	6. Red Eyes

**Sorry for the wait** **.**

* * *

 _ **Ghosts of the Past**_

 _ **Chapter 6: Red Eyes**_

* * *

 _I never understood much about everything Itachi did. I understood him as a person, but he was always much more than I originally thought. He was an enigma to me, not because I couldn't understand his reasoning, but because he was someone who did things for simple reasons, but made them seem so complex._

* * *

Naruto looked down at the water that gathered around his knees. Strangely, the liquid didn't soak into his clothes. It just flowed around his ankles, untouching. He looked at his reflection in the low light of the room. He looked like shit. He felt it, too. He rubbed his eyes, feeling the blinding pain in them. Looking up, he saw the large red bars of the Kyuubi's cell. The paper tag was so small and weak looking that he could hardly believe that it kept in the strongest demon in the world.

He could not see anything past the bars, only a veil of darkness. "Kyuubi," He said. Silence. He stood, the water calm and undisturbed. He curled his toes and rubbed his arm. "Kyuubi," He said loudly, mouth scowling. Still nothing. Getting annoyed, Naruto walked the distance to the bars and peered through, trying to spot the giant demon he _knew_ was there.

One crimson eye opened. It was _much_ bigger than Naruto. He smiled as he stared at that huge eye. "Well, you going to say anything?" The Kyuubi made a low rumbling growl inside his throat that was half-laugh, half-scoff. Lifting his head, the Kyuubi looked down at him with open hatred. " **What, expect some loud declaration of evil?** " Naruto shrugged.

"I don't expect much of anything different, but I guess I just have to be happy about getting your attention."

The Kyuubi's lips moved in something between a snarl and a smile. " **What do you want? I was busy.** " The Kyuubi growled, obviously ready to return to his nap. "Well, I wanted you to tell me if you can tell what's happening to my body right now since you decided to end your oh so busy nap." Naruto crossed his arms and tilted his head.

The Kyuubi blinked, made a low " **Hn,** " and then sneered, " **I'm not some all-seeing god you twit!** " He bellowed, breath smelling like fire when it blew onto Naruto. Coughing, Naruto said, "Well, you do seem to be quite proud of knowing everything about my life. Geez, what do Bijuu even eat?" The Kyuubi snorted. Naruto cleared his throat, "So I felt like you might be able to peek outside and make sure Orochimaru isn't molesting me." Naruto watched the Kyuubi for several moments, then he realized he wasn't going to get an answer.

"I'm guessing that's a firm 'fuck off!'?"

" **Damn right it is,** " The Kyuubi turned his head, laying it back down on his paw and closing his eyes, dismissing Naruto in the graceful movement. Scowling and flipping his middle finger at the demon, Naruto turned around and walked across the room. With little contemplation, he walked went down one of the halls that connected to the expansive room.

The maze of halls didn't make any sense, and the pipes on the ceiling didn't lead anywhere. Leaning against the wall and slowly hitting the back of his head against it, Naruto tried to figure out just how long he had been here. _It hasn't felt long, but…_ He groaned and furiously messed up his hair. "This is so frustrating!" He pushed off the wall, walking endlessly with one hand trailing against the wall. He made all sorts of turns, even going back to places he'd already been, only to go down a completely different hall. He became frustrated, and that only seemed to make the maze worse.

Being done with it, Naruto started to search for the Kyuubi's cage. That was easy to find, and it was like his thoughts had controlled the entirety of his frustration. "There better be some ramen at the end of this fucking maze!" He yelled as the hall opened up into the high ceilinged room. He was pointing a thumb over his shoulder and back down the hall when the Kyuubi opened a single eye. " **Must you be so loud?** "

"Of course, or I might go crazy in this place." He had really tamed out over the past few years, but his boredness brought out the childishness inside of him. " **Welcome to my hell.** " Naruto frowned, stopping mere feet away from the large bars of the cage. "You did this to yourself. You attacked Konoha," He said, expression turning serious, almost cold. " **Did I?** " The Kyuubi's head came close to the bars and the single red eye glared at him. "Yes!"

" **Please tell me what choice I had whenever I was under the control of that damned Sharingan?** " Naruto gasped, " **Please tell me if I had a choice whenever your Hokage's sealed me away?** " Naruto was speechless. " **Huh!?** " The Kyuubi watched him, slitted pupil dilated. Naruto could not find any words. He looked down at the flooded floor. "I'm sorry...I didn't—"

"— **didn't what!? Try to see behind the dogma that your village spoon fed you about Bijuu? Think that there might have been another reason why I attacked Konoha? No, you merely thought you knew.** " Shocked and ashamed at the new perspective, Naruto shook his head, not able to answer the Bijuu's questions. They both said nothing. Naruto looked at the ground as the huge demon looked down at him, his massive head looming in the shadows.

Was the Kyuubi lying? He had to be, right? Doubt filled him, and his whole life seemed to make even less sense.

He knew he should hate the Kyuubi. It was the only thing that was so firm in his life, that he couldn't see it other wise. The demon had killed his parents, attacked his village, and ruined his chances at a regular life. Yet now he was learning that the Kyuubi was controlled that night. It was impossible, and he refused to believe it.

" **If you want, you could wake up right now.** " Naruto's head shot up. " **I don't know what's happened to you, but be careful. If you die—** " "— I die? yeah, yeah, yeah. How do you know that I can wake up?" The Kyuubi growled at the impatient cut off, but none the less answered. " **I know the current state of your body. I've always known. Happy? Good, now let's talk about you being a little prick when you cut me o** — "

"— Finally! I'm out of here!" Naruto interrupted, grinning like an idiot. The Kyuubi groaned and snarled, " **Can't even berate the little shit.** " He muttered as Naruto comically tried to find a way out of here, running and looking down the halls."There's no exit?"

" **No,** " Naruto turned his attention back to the Bijuu, " **You have to think of waking up or…** " He drifted off, suddenly grinning a toothy grin. "Or?" Naruto tilted his head and narrowed his eyes in confusion. " **Heh, I could do** _ **THIS**_ **!** " Like a kick out the door, Naruto was thrown out his own mind.

* * *

Thrown back into the world of the conscious, Naruto could only feel a blinding pain. He gasped. It was literally blinding. His eyes burned like fires in his skull. _Did I…_ He suddenly remembered the sharp bone slashing down at his face. Bandages covered his eyes. Dread filled him as he heaved his body. He was met with resistance. Panicking, he tried to sit up frantically. He heaved in gasps of breaths in fright, his muscles straining against the leather straps around his wrists, ankles, and neck.

"Now, now, Naruto-kun, calm down. I don't want you to pass out from stress." Naruto's panic increased when Orochimaru stepped up next to him, his presence cold and unwelcomed. "What the hell are you doing!" Naruto's muscles strained and his veins bulged as he yelled with all his strength. Even with his added strength from the past three years, he couldn't escape.

A cold hand grabbed his jaw, stopping his squirming. Orochimaru's face dipped really close, his breath hitting Naruto's cheek and ear. "Do you think I wouldn't find out? Did you really think you could hide his eyes forever?" Naruto froze, his body going tense.

"Huh, Naruto- _kuuun_?"

"Did you expect otherwise? I'm not some mindless crony who wants to lick your asshole every second sentence." He relaxed his body.

Orochimaru let go of his face and leaned away. "You lied to me…" He hissed, picking up a scalpel up from the tray beside the medical bed. The metal's scrapped together, creating a chilling sound that prickled Naruto's skin. Orochimaru held the scalpel, a smile twisting on his face, thumb rubbing the flat of the blade. "Do you know what happens to those that lie to me?"

Naruto groaned and gritted his teeth, trying to find a way out of this. "You send them away with a slap on the wrist?" He said, finding his humor even now. Orochimaru _tsked_ his tongue. The flat side of the scalpel slid between his face and the bandage. Orochimaru turned the blade so that it touched the bandages. "They get punished." In a quick motion the bandages were cut away. One side of the bandage fell, letting one of his eyes see the light.

The bright light pierced the drastic acuteness of his vision. He squinted his eyes at the sharp and detailed look at the world. "To think that the mad ramblings of a sick man close to death proved to be right." Orochimaru —who Naruto could barely see thanks to the light— moved in a slow and detailed motion as he removed the other side of the bandage, letting it fall to the side of his head. Every movement was outlined and noted, every possible outcome and change filed. His head pounded to the beat of his pulse and his eyes burned and watered.

Orochimaru turned back and put a mirror in front of him, slightly blocking the light that now fanned around it. He inhaled a sharp gasp at the image he saw. Gone were the blue eyes he was accustomed to looking at in the mirror. In their place was the powerful red of the Sharingan. His body tensed.

 _Sasuke's eyes…this bastard!_

The leather straps groaned as he lunged, rage filling him as he snarled ferally. The mirror disappeared, replaced by Orochimaru, who leaned in really close to his snarling face. "Ssssee, Naruto-kun? You can't hide things forever." Naruto growled low in his throat. "I'm going to kill you." He stated, teeth gritted, face set in an exertion of effort. Orochimaru chuckled, leaning away and put his hands behind his back.

The light above had disappeared, so Naruto stared at the pale man. "I was always curious about your motives, Naruto-kun." Orochimaru turned his back and paced away to a table out of his line of sight. Naruto sneered at the ceiling and tried to move his head in the leather strap.

"I guess you will have to stay here until this body grows too weak."

Naruto loosened his fists as he glared at the snake's back. There was only one option. _Kyuubi...give me chakra!_ His cursed seal flared, too, sending tainted chakra through his veins. The hot chakra of the Kyuubi swirled in his belly, bubbling to the surface. He smirked as Orochimaru turned around to look at him. Their eyes met. Feeling he had won, Naruto smirked.

Orochimaru smirked, too.

"AHHHHHHHHHH!"

Suddenly, a blinding flash of lightning shocked him, halting his sudden power trip. A new and different seal glowed on his chest in a violent red. The chakra's faded as he slumped against the bed, steam rising from his sweaty skin. Orochimaru cackled. "Oh, Naruto-kun, do you think i'm stupid?" Orochimaru approached again with Naruto's parents scroll. "That seal will shock you everytime you try anything like that."

"You see, you've become the perfect vessel, and I can't let you go."

"A Jinchuuriki with the Sharingan, the blood of an Uzumaki, and the knowledge of the Hirashin. How perfect! You even brought me a scroll full of secret jutsu!"

Orochimaru tossed the scroll into the air, smile vicious. Naruto felt his stomach drop, his eyes looking blankly at the ceiling. "I also added a few other gifts to your body, but that isn't your concern anymore." Orochimaru unrolled the scroll laughing.

 _What do I do?_ An overwhelming flood of helplessness consumed him, twisting his gut tightly as he closed white-knuckled fists. His heart hammered, an answer eluding him in his time of need. " _ **Absorb the chakra in the seal!"**_ Naruto jumped from the sudden command.

 _But…_

" _ **Just do it! I'll handle the cursed one!"**_

Naruto focused on the binding seal, his sensory abilities allowing him to find the chakra in it. He used his own chakra to pull on it, wrapping around it and overwhelming it. His body burned with all of the chakra flowing through him. His shoulder felt like it was being stabbed rapidly with a needle thin knife. The cursed seal was glowing red, the swirling flames trailing his body and connecting to the seal on his stomach. "That's useless, boy." Orochimaru said. He didn't even take his eyes away from the scroll.

He realized that the Kyuubi was destroying the seal, using the help of Kakashi's suppression seal. The Kyuubi was using his own chakra to reject the chakra of the cursed seal. Naruto gritted his teeth as Orochimaru flicked his eyes at him. Sweat covered his body as he started to absorb the chakra and make it his own. Naruto screamed as the seal activated, shocking his body. He twitched and spasmed at the electricity.

"What are you d— "

The last of the chakra drained into his own. Naruto's body exploded with power, red chakra a tempest as he jumped at Orochimaru, the leather straps useless against his new strength. The snake moved quickly and slipped out of reach. Naruto flew past him and rolled to his knees as he gasped for air. His back heaved as he looked over his shoulder, red chakra creating heat waves in the air. His Sharingan pierced the orange veil, glowing with its own cursed power.

Orochimaru laughed, "Well, I can't say that i'm surprised." Orochimaru rolled the scroll back up as Kabuto entered the room frantically. "My Lord!" Orochimaru held out a hand, halting him in the doorway. "I'm fine. Don't worry." A wicked smile thinned his lips. "Kabuto, I would like to test Naruto-kun's power." He put the scroll in the fold of his robe.

Naruto stood, body steaming with power as the air spun with red. Orochimaru started to roll up the sleeves of his kimono. "So please, allow me the honor." Naruto turned to him, his mouth a snarl of sharp canines. His eyes were feral with bloodthirst.

" _ **I'm going to kill you, snake!"**_

He shot across the room in a blur of red, tackling Orochimaru.

 _BOOM!_

The two bulleted across the room, smashing into the wall; sending rubble, pebbles, and dust everywhere. The whole room shook from the impact. Kabuto had to grab onto the doorframe as cracks ran along the walls, ceiling, and floor. Rocks broke from the ceiling and fell to the floor.

Naruto flew from the dust, spinning uncontrollably. His body tossed a table aside and shattered a shelf; sending jars, beakers, and books everywhere. Orochimaru walked after him, not even dirty. He laughed with a sneer. "I trained you?" Orochimaru mocked, hold his arms out lazily. Naruto pulled himself from the wooden rubble, tomoe spinning and a low growl coming from his throat. He staggered, then uprighted himself, glare killer.

He snarled, body red with burns, jaw gritted. Orochimaru cackled, then heaved, holding his hand at his mouth as his throat bulged. He opened his mouth and the wide head of a snake shot from his unlatched jowls. The snake opened its mouth too, vomiting a pommel with a gleaming emerald in it. The jewel shined in the lantern light as Orochimaru grabbed the handle, pulling the rest of the _Sword of Kusanagi_ from the snake as it slid back down his throat.

The sword dripped with a yellow mucousy lubricant, small droplets falling to the floor. Naruto flexed his muscles, grinning. " _ **Oh? Are you scared?"**_ Orochimaru slid into a stance, holding the legendary sword in a two handed grip. "Hardly," He attacked, gliding across the room, sweeping his sword in a wide arc. Naruto moved, ducking under the slash, throwing a fist. Orochimaru sidestepped it, bringing his sword back over his head. Naruto caught the blade in his palm for a second to swipe it away from his body. The Kyuubi's chakra shielded his skin, but it was only for that brief moment. Any longer and the legendary blade would've sliced right through his fingers.

A swift kick to the gut sent Naruto sliding. His feet slid across the ground as he braced himself. Orochimaru leapt and swept his sword, Naruto ducking and sending punches and kicks; spinning and weaving around the sword and all the obstacles of the room. The two battled across the room, overturning tables and carts, sending beakers and sterile equipment flying into the air. Naruto even tried to stab Orochimaru's eye out with a syringe. Orochimaru backflipped over the medical restraint bed, throwing a brace of kunai in his spin. Naruto weaved out of the way, caught one, and laid a Kyuubi enhanced kick against the bed.

The bed flew at Orochimaru's face as he landed in a crouch. A downward slash cut it in half, the pieces sliding to the side on the ground. Naruto advanced, jabbing with his borrowed kunai. Orochimaru parried it, sliding backward and setting his feet so he could send a stab of his own. Naruto jumped away, tossing away his useless kunai—the tip cut off from the parry— as his scrubs were cut at the rib by the stab.

He landed a distance away as Orochimaru taunted him with an acid smile and a twirl of his sword. Naruto looked at the cut on his clothes. He was uninjured. Knowing that the Sword of Kusanagi was poisoned, he breathed through his nose in relief. Sliding back into his taijutsu stance, Naruto smirked at the snake, chakra glowing and swirling.

Suddenly, as Orochimaru prepared to strike again, the cracks in the roof split, and the rocks fell. Large boulders fell into the room, crushing furniture and smashing against the floor, shaking the ground. The walls even blasted inward, adding to the dust and debris. The room rumbled and dust plumed past Kabuto and into the hallway.

* * *

— _**Itachi —**_

— _Elsewhere —_

Itachi pushed aside a branch as he travelled through the forest. The Akatsuki cloak he wore was torn and burnt at the edges, courtesy of his last target. He had come to quite hate the cloak, so it didn't matter that it got so torn up. He placed a hand on a tree next to him as he felt the thick chakra in the air become even more potent. He played with the ring on his finger and thought of his organization's mission. He knew this chakra. He knew it so well that it stung his eyes and burnt his nose to even be near it again.

The Kyuubi no Yoko's chakra was worse than any of the other Bijuu's. It was so potent and powerful that it was hard to think that Konoha had even survived its malice. It was hard to think that one day —with all the other Bijuu— that the Akatsuki's ultimate weapon would be even more powerful than the Kyuubi. _I'm sure Kisame won't mind a little scouting._ He was to meet his sharp toothed companion in the next village over, so it was fine to stray from the path.

The ground quivered.

He traveled a little closer. Suddenly, with a large quake, the ground exploded. A huge plume of dust shot into the air, sending boulders and pebbles to shower down through the trees and onto his head. When the dust started to clear, he went closer, eyes looking through the dust cloud.

He could see the outline of a monstrous and animalistic human-fox. Four large tails swept and swayed with minds of their own, bubbling and sweeping the wind. Across from the red fox was a man, a man he recognized easily. Orochimaru stood lazily, grinning as blood trailed down his cheek from a cut on his temple. The multi-tailed fox lunged in a blur across the large gap between them, grabbing Orochimaru by the arm and throwing him in an primal spin. Orochimaru flipped from the force, smashing through the thick trunks of the trees, disappearing out of sight. The fox growled, steam coming from its mouth and curling in the air.

Itachi was surprised to see that half of the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki was covered in a violent and bloody red while the other half was covered in a bubbly orange. His skin was peeling and burning, mixing blood with the chakra, allowing the red to slowly shroud him. His body hunched —as if he would collapse— then shot off the ground, cracking it and sending rocks flying with a _woosh_ of air.

Somewhere past the dust and broken trees, a large impact boomed out, and the earth shook. Itachi followed the destruction.

* * *

— _**Naruto —**_

 _It hurts so bad!_ His body burned as the malice of chakra crawled and burned his skin, boiling every cell of his body. His mind was being taken over by an animalistic and chilling need to _kill._ His whole body burned with the need of it. He tried to fight it as he chased after Orochimaru, but his control was slipping, and he stopped caring about the pain. Losing himself, all he wanted was this man's windpipe smashed in his palm. He wanted to kill Orochimaru so bad that he was salivating, eyes and intent solely for the snake alone.

" _ **DIE!"**_

The Kyuubi jumped at Orochimaru with a roar, and slapped away the Kusanagi like it was a child's toy, an extended claw slashing Orochimaru's chest. The smell of blood made his need for the kill even more intense. The Kyuubi attacked with a fury, not caring for the sword trying to cut him up. His shroud of blood and chakra protected him as he slashed and clawed at the snake. The mixture of blood and chakra protected him more than the first stage of bubbly chakra.

The two eventually came to a river after their short bout in the trees that destroyed the landscape. The two shot from the treeline and onto the stream. Orochimaru landed in the middle of it, turning his body downstream where the four-tailed Kyuubi crouched on all fours across from him. The water below its feet boiled. The chakra beast burnt the air with its heat, mouth steaming with pants and growls. Orochimaru panted, body covered in bruises, burns, and dirt. The pawprint on his arm was a sickly blackburn, having been cauterized by the Kyuubi's chakra when he grabbed and threw him. He spun his sword, readying himself for another barrage.

The Kyuubi unlatched his mouth, the air gathering small bubbles of chakra. The red and blue chakra gathered at the mouth, condensing into a tightly pressurized ball of purple chakra. Orochimaru's eyes widened. Moving quickly, he slipped his thumb into his mouth and bit with a canine, then blurred through some hand seals as he bounded away to gain some distance.

The Kyuubi's jaw clamped shut over the purple sphere, steam flowing through his red-black teeth. The Kyuubi's cheeks puffed as light bled through its eyes and mouth. Orochimaru slammed a hand on the surface of the water.

" _ **Kuchiyose: Sanjū Rashōmon!"**_

The beam of chakra shot from the Kyuubi's mouth as three large demonic gates shot from the surface of the river. The gates appeared fully just in time. The Bijuudama disintegrated the water and cut a deep trench into the river as it impacted. The Bijuudama hit the first gate, destroying it easily. The second, surprisingly, split the weakened beam of chakra, cracking and shaking. The beam created large trenches on the sides, blowing trees and rocks away, burning the earth. The third diffused the shock farther, not even trembling.

The attack dispersed, and the Kyuubi snarled as the second gate came crumbling down, the third standing with its demon face glaring. Water dipped down the gate as the smoke of the attack cleared. The Kyuubi crouched, the exposed river bottom cracking as the water started to flow around the gate and back downstream into the new trench that scarred the river bed.

The Kyuubi shot off the ground in a blur of red. The beast flew through the air and smashed into the gate with a resounding _boom!_ and a tempest of wind. Cracks spontaneously veined all the way up the gate as it shook. The Rashomon stopped the Kyuubi for a moment —its head and shoulder buried in the demonic metal— but the gate crumbled and the Kyuubi used its tails to shield itself from the rubble. The gate fell.

The Kyuubi pushed the debris off of itself, tails lifting and wrapping around rock and metal. Orochimaru stood upstream with a smirk, leaning against the pommel of his sword that was stabbed into the ground, a good number of paces away. The Kyuubi stood atop the rubble, tails swirling, creating wind as it roared, the world vibrating from the sound of it. Orochimaru pulled his sword tip from the river stones as the Kyuubi picked up red clay shingles in his four tails. The tails stabbed forward, flinging the shingles with a force that created a _swoosh_ noise and a vacuum of wind. The shingles were a blur as they lit on fire in mid air from the Bijuu's chakra still on it. Orochimaru slid around the barrage, preparing himself when the Kyuubi started to bound down the rocks and up the river, creating a torrent behind it as it ran across the surface.

At the last moment, Orochimaru flipped away, slipping through the whipping tails that tried to wrap around him. Extending his sword, he spun it, slapping away all of the tails and smashing it into the Kyuubi's ribs, sending the beast into the trees. The Kyuubi didn't even feel the trees breaking against its back as it maneuvered itself to hit with its feet. It went through a tree, wrapped tails around nearby trees, and slid; again forming a Bijuudama. The Kyuubi's claws dug into the ground. This time he formed small ones, shooting them off the way he came in rapid succession. They exploded in the distance, sending shockwaves that shook the tree branches and rubbed the leaves together.

When the last one exploded, he started bounding through the trees again. Trees flew past as the river came closer in sight, large holes cut perfectly from the earth. But in a sudden surprise intrusion, someone jumped down from the trees in front of him, red eyes spinning. The shuriken pattern spun, the red pupil dilating. **No!**

A sudden weakness came over him and another will pushed him away. The Kyuubi slid to a halt, body collapsing as it flipped onto its back from its momentum. With one final strain, the Kyuubi was pushed back into slumber.

* * *

— _**Itachi —**_

Itachi watched the chakra seep back into the Jinchuuriki's skin and the blood it had mixed with pool on the ground. His skin was red and peeled, completely destroyed. It would take a long time before he would recover, even with the help of his prisoner. It was ironic. The Kyuubi could heal and destroy the boy. The Jinchuuriki groaned, hand twitching. Itachi stood above him, looking at his face. The blonde container opened chapped lips. He rasped something that morphed into a grizzly weeze.

"Rest," He searched his head for the boys name. "Naruto." The blonde opened his eyes, and to Itachi's shock, the pattern of the Sharingan looked back at him. The boy reached a burnt hand up, grasping. Yet Itachi stood in muted shock. Naruto's hand fell to the side and his eyes slid shut, his breath wheezing.

 _No…_

 _That's impossible…_

 _Another Uchiha?_

 _No, those aren't his real eyes._ He could see the difference in chakra's in the eyes and body. Slowly, the two were mixing and accommodating for each other.

With a sudden shock, the answer came to him.

 _Sasuke…_

He moved quickly, pulling his cloak off and wrapping Naruto in it. He glanced over his shoulder toward the river. Good, no Orochimaru. Maybe Naruto had got him… "Well, I didn't expect you to be here, Itachi-kun." Itachi turned his head to the large rock that Orochimaru stood on. The man looked like he hadn't even been fighting. _He healed himself, somehow._ Itachi stood, expression blank. "I get around."

"Yes, i'm sure you do, being in the Akatsuki and all." The snake jumped to the grass, sword loose in his grip. Orochimaru grinned, "You're a smart one, young Itachi, so hand over the boy." Itachi hummed, "If I remember our last meeting correctly, then you should be bending to my will, Orochimaru- _sama_." The snake grimaced, face then scowling.

"You hurt me, Itachi."

"I'd like to cut you, too, but that's beside the point of taunting."

The Sannin laughed, "You still have quite a blunt mouth on you." Itachi crouched, each leg on one side of Naruto. The blonde didn't even twitch. "Really? I always thought I learned a thing or two from Kisame. He likes to brag about it from time to time." In a blur, Orochimaru lunged across the field, neck and arms extending with the body in pursuit. His fangs and left arm went for Itachi while his right arm went for Naruto. The left arm held the venomous Kusanagi, and there was no doubt Orochimaru wanted to impale him with it.

Itachi dipped, pulling the boy with him and throwing shuriken that quickly appeared from his sleeve. The extended appendages twisted and snaked around the sharp weapons, but the left arm —being closest— let itself be hit protecting the main body. Itachi moved around trees, stretched arm and head weaving in pursuit as Orochimaru's body kept in sight, but out of reach.

 _Shit!_

Itachi winced when the head wrapped around him, biting into his arm, forcing him to drop Naruto. Naruto fell to the earth, quickly being entrapped by the arm, the hand grabbing his neck harshly. Itachi gritted his teeth, the neck squeezing around his trapped arms. Orochimaru's head slithered in front of his face, bobbing and looking more like a snake than a human. "I win." Itachi rose a delicate eyebrow. "Did you?" He burst into a murder of crows and Naruto popped into smoke. Orochimaru grasped at air as the crows flew off.

The crows flocked, jumbling together onto a tree branch, where Itachi formed with Naruto over his shoulder. "I don't have time for you, Orochimaru." He said, leaning Naruto against the trunk. Orochimaru's body walked through the bushes, arm and neck retracting from their over extended state. One of his arms was filled with kunai, but he ignored it.

"Your schedule just cleared up." Orochimaru slid into his Kenjutsu stance. The _Sword of Kusanagi_ gleamed with a vile poison that dripped to the dirt. Itachi sighed, pulling his cloak off Naruto and tossing it so that it draped over the branch he stood on. That wouldn't be needed anymore. He slid a brace of kunai from his ninja pouch. He closed his eyes, "I'll end this quickly." When they snapped back open, the pattern of the Sharingan spun in his eyes. He threw his kunai, and leaped from the tree into the air. The kunai flew toward Orochimaru, and he dodged them with a laugh as they impaled the ground. "Have to do better than that!"

" _ **Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu(Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique)!"**_

A large fire ball took up the entire canopy, roaring down at him as it got bigger and bigger. The fireball barrelled down, and Itachi disappeared. Orochimaru quickly snaked out of harm's way, the fireball hitting and spreading across the grass in a fury. He searched around uselessly for any sign for Itachi.

 _I have to end this quickly or Naruto might die._ Itachi thought as he appeared behind Orochimaru, a kunai going up to both his neck and spine. He slowly slid the kunai into Orochimaru's skin, just enough to show that he could end it any moment. Yet, in that same moment, snakes shot from Orochimaru's sleeves and wrapped themselves around Itachi. Itachi didn't even bat an eyelash as the head of a snake bit the hand that held the kunai to Orochimaru's back. Orochimaru chuckled, "I don't need you anymore, Itachi. I have the eyes of your brother and the body of an Uzumaki. You're useless to me." The snakes constricted as Orochimaru turned and put the Sword of Kusanagi to his throat.

"Isn't that wonderful?"

Itachi blinked, face calm. " _ **Bunshin Daibakuha(Shadow Clone Explosion)!"**_ He exploded.

* * *

 **Peace.**


	7. The Clumsy Assassin

**_So, i've been thinking about doing this for a while, but I have finally decided to answer reviews that have questions or remarks that I find important in them. I've decided to do this to get a bit more interaction with my readers and to answer question's_** ** _so other people won't ask them over and over again. I also want to just tell you guys that even if you leave a simple "Good chapter" or something or another with a few words, that it is appreciated, but I won't waste my time writing out a "Thanks!" every time someone does that. I think that goes without saying. But I also believe that it goes without saying that I appreciate the review no matter how simple it is._**

 ** _I won't go back and answer all the reviews from chapter one through five, but I will respond to questions from the last chapter._**

 ** _If you don't give a shit, feel free to scroll on down and read to your cute heads content._**

 ** _Adela C. Brandon: I have Naruto still a little weak because I have had a bad habit of making him too powerful in other stories. But don't fret, he can literally control the wind_** **_and_** ** _teleport, so I think he's pretty strong. I wouldn't really say it was partially Itachi's fault that Sasuke died, so I don't really get what you mean by that. Everything with Sakura and why Danzo choose to control her will be explained later on. Basically Kimimaro was insane, jealous, and kinda intuitive. Orochimaru and Kabuto also questioned Naruto's allegiance and motives, so its not too out there to think that Kimimaro would just make the assumption that Naruto wanted to kill Orochimaru. Naruto will have black eyes now, and he will have to practice to be able to deactivate his Sharingan._**

 ** _The Amazing Grayson: I wished it had more exposure, too, but alas... :'(_**

 ** _drno285: Close to canon? Hmmmm. Well, I try to keep them close to character, sprinkling a little bit of a difference in personality and stuff because I can't stand canon Naruto and Sakura in Part I. Original is my middle name. No seriously, all you have to do is squint your eyes and tilt your head. Its between_** _the_ ** _and_** _Wind_ ** _. Murmurs in the original Wind. Heh, not bad, eh; except its not in the middle, but fuck it it doesn't sound as good._**

 ** _Amouren: I wouldn't say I would like a story just because a character died in it, but whatever floats your boat, I guess._**

* * *

 _ **Ghosts of the Past**_

 _ **Chapter 7: The Clumsy Assassin**_

* * *

 _At some point, Danzo stopped caring about the consequences of what his decisions would bring. He didn't care about the secrets that Itachi had, or the repercussions that would happen if he killed me and set a Bijuu back into the world. He knew that as long as he had his Root forces and the seat of Hokage, he couldn't be stopped._

* * *

— _**Sakura —**_

 _— Konoha_ _—_

"You're the only one who can do this, Ino." Sakura said, looking at her friend; who sat on her bed flipping through a magazine. She had a severe frown on her face. "My dad could." Ino said, holding up a finger as she talked in her nonchalant know-it-all tone, her insanely long ponytail flipping over her neck. "My clan could." Another finger flicked up to join it. Sakura rolled her eyes, "You're the only one I trust enough to walk around my head." Ino grinned and tossed away her magazine, bouncing off the bed to stand with her hands on her hips. "Damn right!"

Sakura pushed Ino's finger out from under her nose. "So will you do it?" She asked. "Duh," Ino said with an eye roll, motioning for her to stand. Sakura did as told, and allowed Ino to move her to her own bed. Once she was comfy —well, as close as she could get with her nerves— Ino said, "Relax. It'll all be okay." Ino pulled up a seat from Sakura's desk. "You're not relaxed~" Ino sung, weaving her hands through hand signs.

Sakura frowned. Ignoring her pout, Ino smiled. "Ready?" Sakura opened her mouth, ready to say no. "Good." Ino touched her fingertips together, smiling in a reassuring way.

Then Sakura was pushed into her mind.

* * *

— _**Itachi —**_

— _Unknown Location —_

How odd. The Kyuubi had almost completely healed Naruto's wounds in less than a few hours.

Amazing.

Itachi sat knelt on a pillow, drinking from a shot glass as he leaned his elbow on the table at his waist. He watched Naruto's back, which was wrapped in bandages since he still had a slight burn. His whole body was covered, and he was positioned so he faced the wall, which was shaded. Light fell into the room and glittered off the porcelain of his sake bottle. Itachi downed another shot. He wasn't one to drink a lot, but…

How did Naruto have the Sharingan?

There were very few ways for someone to have the Sharingan...and if Sasuke had —

 _No!_

He shouldn't come to conclusions like that. There were other ways for someone to have the Sharingan. Naruto might just _actually_ be a Uchiha. Which was almost as preposterous as Sasuke being...

Someone could've preserved and then transplanted them into the boy by force. It wasn't an outrageous thought, and he wouldn't put it past Orochimaru or Danzo...or Madara. His fist tightened against his cheek. Madara was a problem and Orochimaru's words earlier gnawed at him. Was it true? Did Naruto somehow get Sasuke's eyes? How? Orochimaru probably transplanted them himself.

Was Sasuke...dead?

He had to know, and he refused to believe it till he heard it from the only person who would know.

He absentmindedly tried to pour more of his drink, but the bottle was empty; only a small droplet plopped into the shot dish. Sighing, Itachi decided to do some meditation. He needed to prepare himself for whatever outcome came next.

* * *

— _**Naruto —**_

— _Hours Later —_

Goddamn it burned. His whole body stung like he had been slapped a thousand times all over. Naruto groaned, turning onto his back, blanket sliding off his shoulder. He opened his eyes and looked at the buttresses that held up the ceiling, eyes blurry. _Where am I?_

Jumping when he sensed another presence, he turned on his other side quickly, eyes adjusting. He looked straight into the eyes of Itachi Uchiha. Naruto's jaw unhitched as Itachi casually sipped on some tea from a clay cup. "Mornin'." Itachi said, placing the cup on a coaster as it steamed, face carefully calm.

"Wha…" Naruto gaped in disbelief. Why was _Itachi Uchiha_ here? Wait, why was _he_ here? "What's going on." Naruto pushed up from his bedding, arm wobbling. He glared. _Stupid, do you really think you can look threatening to a murderer who slaughtered his whole family?_ He bit the inside of his cheek. _I don't think I can stand, anyway._ His entire body shook just from sitting. Not only was he burned, but he was also drained of chakra.

"I saved you," Itachi said frankly and casually, laying his hands primly in his lap. Right, he was fighting Orochimaru before he lost control. "Why?" Itachi just pointed at his eyes. Naruto blinked, getting what he meant. They were still activated. He hadn't noticed the difference between his normal vision and this one. Weird.

"How did you get the Sharingan?" Itachi asked, face never changing. It was unsettling —like looking at a painting whose eyes followed you. Naruto looked at his fists, clenching the blanket in his lap. "I-I didn't want them." He said, trying to be strong, but his voice cracked. "I just didn't know what to do with them." Tears fell, and he felt like an idiot. _Sure, cry in front of a mass murderer, that'll help the whole threatening look!_

"I tried to hide them, but he found them and forced them onto me."

Itachi sat in a stoic silence, eyes never flashing with any sign of emotion. Naruto frowned, not knowing what to do in this type of situation. It wasn't every day that you were saved by a heartless killer. "Sasuke's…" Naruto started, but couldn't finish. Why would Itachi care? He had ruined Sasuke's life.

"He's dead?" Itachi asked, and somehow Naruto finally realized it. Itachi _really wanted to know_. Why? Beats him. "Yes." He looked at the floorboards, frustrated. Itachi didn't even react. He stayed as deadpanned as a mask. A long moment of silence dragged across the room.

Itachi stood with demure, reaching into his plain cloak and tossing a scroll in front of Naruto. It hit the ground and rolled, coming to a stop at his hip. He picked it up. "I got that off of Orochimaru." It was his parent's scroll. "How did you know this was important?" He felt the smooth paper in his palm, turning it over to look at the blood seal for confirmation. "I know the work of the Yondaime anywhere." Right.

"Thanks…for saving me —and the scroll." His thanks drifted as he watched Itachi nod, turn, and then walk out the door almost...in a hurry. He didn't say a word in farewell. The door clicked closed behind him, and Naruto sighed, falling back into the plush of his bed. _Things just seem to get more and more confusing, huh?_

…

 _Did I just get left behind?_

* * *

An hour later, there was a messy pile of bandages on the floor. Naruto sat on his bedding, his legs crisscrossed and his parents scroll on a thigh. He crossed his arms and scratched his chakra burnt cheek, still confused as to what had happened earlier. Wasn't Itachi supposed to be a merciless killer who messed up Sasuke's entire life? He literally made his brother close to insane.

So why did he care that he was dead? The way he left and the way he acted conflicted with each other. Why leave so quickly, but look like you had just heard the weather?

" _ **We need to get out of here."**_ Naruto jumped, almost screaming. _Don't do that!_ Naruto yelled, frowning. " _ **Hm."**_ The Kyuubi grunted, and Naruto had the imagination to think that he had probably crossed one paw over the other in that dismissive habit of his. Not wanting to start an argument, he moved onto what was important. _What do you mean?_

" _ **That man is dangerous."**_ _Well, no shit!_

" _ **I mean it, Naruto."**_ The Kyuubi growled, and Naruto rolled his eyes.

Naruto sat for a moment, placing a contemplative hand on his chin. _I think we'll wing it._ He decided a few moments later, slapping his knee and grinning. The Kyuubi groaned. " _ **Wing it? The last time you winged it you almost got stabbed in the face!"**_ Naruto shrugged, standing and walking across the room, holding his growling stomach. He rounded the table Itachi had been sitting at, passed the door, and walked into a little kitchen area with cupboards lining the walls and floor going around the room in a L shape. He started to go through the drawers and cabinets, finding all of them empty. He tapped a finger against the marble counter tops, looking around at all the strewn open kitchen containers.

"There's no foooooooooood!" He whined, sliding down the side of a cabinet and onto the ground. Light streamed through a window and onto the side of his face, making him squint one eye; which made his whining face look even more ridiculous. His stomach growled again, and he sniffled. " _ **Please don't tell me you're about to cry!"**_ _No!_ He yelled pathetically, sitting up straighter and wiping his nose; after jumping off the floor, laughing. He imagined an eye roll. _Let's go find Itachi, I guess._ He walked to the door and paused.

 _Never thought i'd say those words. Usually, you avoid kinslayers...and clanslayers —and I guess all types of killers in general._

" _ **Then you'd be avoiding the whole ninja population."**_ He had a point.

Not dwelling on it, Naruto walked outside onto the cabin's landing and looked around as the door clicked closed. The cabin was tucked away in the woods and only a small patch of land in front of it was cleared of trees. Itachi was nowhere in sight. The faint sound of a waterfall drew him down the steps and into the trees. Birds chirped and sang, and the sun warmed his faintly burnt skin to a slightly uncomfortable level of pain. He found a small game trail, and after a few minutes he was standing on the bank of a river. The waterfall wasn't huge, but it made a very booming sound as it fell and collided with the river. It was...nice. He could see why Itachi came here.

Naruto watched the clan killer for a few moments. He sat on a very large rock that jutted out at the base of the waterfall, turning a river stone in his fingers, eyes focused downstream as the waterfall clapped against the surface of the river behind him and sent mists of water droplets into the air. Naruto waded out to him, walking through the apparent ankle deep water. The stones sunk and gathered around his sandals when he stepped, then were pushed back into place by the current, covering the indents of his footsteps.

He stood at the base of the rock, the water ebbing around the large boulder and his ankles. "Well?" Naruto asked, putting a hand on his hip and running a hand through his hair; which was getting wet from the mist the waterfall created. Itachi did nothing, and Naruto tilted his head to stare at his face. Yes, that was grief. No matter how much he hid it, Naruto could see it. Afterall, he had done the exact same thing after Sasuke died, too.

Itachi stood with a look of determined conviction on his face. He dropped the pebbled. It tumbled down the side of the rock and plopped into the water, joining its kind back under the surface. Itachi looked him in the eye. "We have a lot to talk about, Naruto Uzumaki."

* * *

— _**Kakashi —**_

— _Konoha —_

Well, he couldn't say that the past few years _hadn't_ been eventful. He just had to say it was the bad type of eventful. Why did the Sandaime have to die? Everything flew to shit soon after he got murdered by his own student. Well, it wasn't like everything wasn't shit before, but it still felt like orderly shit. There was peace with the Sandaime, and now the Gondaime was declaring war on countries left and right like he was throwing down a winning hand of cards. After three years of reigning, Danzo didn't care that there wasn't a reason. He just did what he wanted.

 _That's why i'm doing all of this, I suppose._

Sneaking around and planning behind the backs of every single one of Danzo's loyal ninja was hard. Especially since his popularity had increased —for some reason. He had a sneaking suspicion that whatever was changing the public opinion was also changing Sakura. Her personality hadn't changed, but her 'blackouts' had started around the same time as public opinion began to change. He sighed, holding his new copy of Icha Icha in front of his face as he walked down the street.

That girl…

He praised and pitied her. While he had lost both of his teammates, too, he had lost them because they were serving Konoha. Her's had abandoned their village, their vows of loyalty, and most importantly; her. Though she hadn't let that impede her progress as a ninja. She had become strong, respected.

He couldn't be prouder.

Yet he couldn't be more worried. It was only after he chased Sakura down and interrogated her did he find out about her blackouts. He had had to use a genjutsu just to make her calm down. She had explained that the only reason she didn't tell people was because she literally felt fear and panic every time the subject came up.

Kakashi was glad he had convinced her to let Ino walk around her mind. Of course, they hadn't told her about the blackouts; only that Sakura was having some odd problems with her memories.

Kakashi rapped his knuckles against the door, and the sliding peephole pulled open. A set of brown eyes stared at him through the slot. Kakashi crinkled an eye and gave a small, lazy wave. "Yo." The peephole slid back into the place and latched. Then, the door was unbolted and pulled open, sliding against the stones. Kakashi slipped in the open crack created and patted the door guard on the shoulder. "Always eternally on guard, eh, Kotetsu?"

Kotetsu slid the large iron door back closed and spoke while the large bolt groaned back into its catch. "Yeah," He said, "Can't ever join ya'll in the main room." Kakashi patted his shoulder in consolation. "We all value your diligence." He walked down the hall as Kotetsu snorted behind him. With a friendly wave to Izumo —who was reading from a book in a wooden chair next to the door— he turned the doorknob and entered the main room.

It was filled with Asuma, Kurenai, Guy, Tenzo, Tsunade, and surprisingly even Jiraiya. People were missing, but they all couldn't gather at the same time.

They greeted him, and he waved once. "I didn't think you would be back, Jiraiya-sama," Kakashi said as he moved through the room to lounge against the wall with Asuma. Jiraiya sat in a chair around the table in the middle of the room with the others. He grinned that toothy grin of his, "I like to be considered a treat every now and again." Tsunade snorted, "I thought treats were supposed to be sweet." Jiraiya whined. Kakashi gave an eye smile, Asuma chuckled, and Kurenai shook her head. Guy shot from his seat, springing to point an accusing finger at Kakashi.

"Always fashionably late, eh, Kakashi!?" Kakashi held up his book farther, acting as if he didn't see the finger in his face or hear the loud yells of the Green Beast. "Oh, Guy...did you say something?" Guy deflated to the ground, crying comical tears as he laminated about his cool and hip attitude. "Why, my eternal rival!?"

Everyone laughed.

"Alright, alright! Calm down. Let's get this thing started." Tsunade stood at the head of the desk, moving around some papers. She straightened them neatly, then cleared her throat and sat back into her leather chair. "I'll go over your reports later —right now I want to hear a count on how many new members we have."

Her honey eyes roamed their faces. No one moved. "Well?" She asked, the severity on her face sullen. Yamato stood, his chair screeching. He looked hesitant, but with a prompting look, spoke. "Ten, my lady." Tsunade grimaced, ringing her hands. Kakashi looked at all the dejected faces of the group. There was a brief moment of austere silence.

He pushed off the wall, sighing. "That's better than last time." He pointed out, scratching a masked cheek to distract himself. "It's hard work to find someone willing to coup an entire village." Nods of agreement followed that. "A large percentage of the ninja will stay on the Hokage's side out of pure obligation to the village, not out of loyalty for Danzo. Most don't really understand that we don't want to throw the village into anarchy."

Jiraiya hmphed, placing a hand on his chin. "Is poison or assassination an option?"

"No, Root would just seize control themselves and continue what their master started. We _need_ to defeat Root and Danzo in one strike." Tsunade said. "You would know that we already thought of that if you actually came to these meetings!" Tsunade glared at him as he grinned sheepishly. "Well, you see, hime, I've been busy…" He scratched the back of his head.

"He's looking for Naruto and Sasuke, so I don't really see the problem, Tsunade-sama," Asuma said, his arms crossed over his flak jacket. Tsunade sighed, "Right. I've just gotten frustrated." She pulled out a flask, which was swooped up by Jiraiya and put into the fold of his kimono. She growled, "Hand it back." She demanded, holding out a flat hand. "After the meeting." He said stubbornly, crossing his arms so she couldn't reach into his kimono and pull the flask back out.

"He has a point, Tsunade-sama," Kurenai interjected, smiling nervously when Tsunade glared at her. The two women stared. Tsunade huffed, crossing her arms like a child that just got the cookie it stole taken back away. "Fine." Kakashi cleared his throat. "I guess I should bring it up now." All eyes turned to him. "Ino is going through Sakura's mind as we speak." Guy pumped his fist, yelling enthusiastically. "All right! Maybe young Ino could find whatever plagues my beloved students love!" Before he could go on a rant about how pure and genuine Lee's love was, Kakashi chopped him on the top of the head, making him bite his tongue. "Owsh!"

"Let's hope that whatever it is that it isn't some mental illness, and it _actually_ is what we think it is." Everyone nodded, and Guy nursed his tongue.

Well, he could only hope for the best when it came to his remaining student.

* * *

— _**Itachi —**_

What was there left to do? His brother was dead. His reason to live was gone. His chance at redemption long ago sealed in ashes. "Who killed him?" It was probably Orochimaru. "Danzo," Naruto answered, sitting on the rock next to him. His long legs stretched down the side of the rock, and his toes dipped into the water.

The Hokage.

That made sense. He had threatened to tell village secrets if anything happened to Sasuke, but it seemed Danzo didn't care enough now to keep the agreement. So, he didn't care about Konoha's image because he was the leader now. He was unafraid of the repercussions that such secrets would create. What caused this change?

Itachi glanced at Naruto from the corner of his eye. He was scratching his blonde, spiky hair. He looked confused by the way his face scowled. "What?" Itachi asked, turning his head so that he could meet Naruto's eyes. "Well, I thought we would be fighting by now. Or that I would be in some lair of the Akatsuki's." Itachi let an amused smile turn the corners of his mouth. Naruto stared, a blonde eyebrow lifting.

"We aren't enemies," Itachi stated, pulling off his Akatsuki ring. The black kanji on it read 'vermillion' against the red stone. "I loved Sasuke, too." Naruto let out a tentative snort. _Can't really blame the kid, can I?_ Itachi tossed the ring into the air, letting it fall back into an open palm. He let that slip by, instead focusing on the idea that had been churning in his mind since the chance of Sasuke's death had been uttered. "I need your help, Naruto." Naruto's Sharingan locked onto his. "I want to kill Danzo and take back Konoha." Naruto's inhaled sharply, then his face scrunched up. He laughed. The boisterous sound echoed through the tree and was louder than the waterfall.

He wiped away an imaginary tear. "Oh, boy. Now _that_ was rich." Itachi kept his face serious. Naruto measured his expression, then frowned. "Listen, I want to stab the prick in the neck as much as the next guy, but the problem with that is the fact that the man has an army. If he didn't have that, then where do you think I would be right now? In Konoha, with my teacher, teammate, and the new Hokage —Danzo dead and buried with a big, bloody hole in his neck."

Itachi nodded, "That's why we're going to get our own army."

"Oh, and how do you plan to do that?"

"Well, if you haven't noticed, Danzo hasn't been playing niceties with the entirety of the Elemental Nations." Naruto glared at him for his condescendence. "And what makes you think that they will help when they have to help their own villages? Hell, how do you know _i'll_ help. News flash: I don't like you."

"Like I said, we aren't enemies."

"Tell that to your dead clan."

"I did that for a reason."

"Oh? Please tell me what your psychotic reason was. I'm sure it's glorious." Itachi contemplated that. _Well, I guess if we are going to be allies, then he will have to know the truth. We won't get anywhere with him being sarcastic all the time when we talk about working together._

"The Uchiha were planning a coup d'etat." Naruto froze, his eyes unblinking. "They planned to kill the Sandaime and use the Kyuubi to hold control of the village. I was tasked with kidnapping you." Naruto's mouth fell open. "I and a close friend spied on the Uchiha for the village, but in the end we couldn't convince them to change their ways. Danzo persuaded me that it was for the best that the Uchiha be eliminated. So, I killed all of them. I killed my parents, the girl I loved, and my best friend committed suicide only days before. I slaughtered my clan while they slept. But when it came to Sasuke, I couldn't do it. I loved him too much. So I spared his life so one day he could find me and kill me, becoming a hero and avenging our family."

Naruto was silent as he gaped at the new information. Itachi knew what was coming next. "How can I trust you?" Itachi shrugged. "That's up to you to decide, but think about it for a while. Look underneath the underneath." One of his sensei's sayings. Naruto's face glowed with recognition. Itachi stood and jumped to the bank of the river. "I'll be at the cabin. If you do decide to be allies, then we have some work to do." He turned and started through the brush, but then he stopped and looked over his shoulder.

"Starting with those eyes of yours."

* * *

— _**Sakura —**_

— _Konoha —_

"I'm sorry, but I couldn't find a cause." Ino sat in the chair next to Sakura's bed, looking dejected. Sakura sat on the edge, her toe's crinkling into her carpet. "But there _were_ missing memories?" Sakura asked. What ever this was, it was dangerous. And she was so, so scared. Ino bobbed her head, running her fingers through her golden ponytail. "The gaps start when the war with Suna started. So —specifically— three years ago, after a training session with Tsunade."

Sakura clenched her bedsheets between her fingers. "So is it an injury?" That was a stupid question. She already knew the answer. She was a medical ninja and had checked for any head trauma the day after the blackouts started. "No, don't answer. I already know. It was a dumb question." She was just panicking.

Now, what?

What now that mind walking had failed?

Ino stood, placing a hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry, Sakura…" She looked utterly inutile. Sakura laid a hand over the one on her shoulder, lacing their fingers together. "It's okay, Ino." She held Ino's hand between her own, rubbing a thumb on the side of her palm. She smiled, then stood, holding back a sniffle. She wouldn't cry. Not in front of Ino. Not in front of anyone.

"I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" Ino said, putting her other hand into the group. Sakura nodded, not trusting her voice. Ino smiled, then with a quick hug, she left. Sakura listened as Ino's footsteps faded down the stairs. _Kami, what's going on…_ Somehow, Kakashi seemed to know more about this than her. He had been the one to convince her to talk to Ino despite the deep and primal fear that gripped her every time the subject was brought up.

Someone was controlling the blackouts, and that thought made her sink to her bed and sit down on the edge. She laid down and turned, so her back was to the door. She stared at the wall.

And that night she didn't sleep until the blackout took her.

* * *

Her mission was simple. Kill and be seen.

A young and ambitious Lord in the Land of Lightning had been advocating for peace with Konoha and the Land of Fire. His philosophy was popular with most of the other lords, and the Daimyo was leaning that way because the Lord happened to be his cousin and he didn't want an expensive war on his hands. While the Raikage was all for war —seeing as he's wanted another shot at Konoha since the Third Ninja War— he couldn't do anything without the Daimyo's blessing. Well, he could, but money would be tight. And that was one of the most important things for a war besides fighters.

She sat perched on the corner of a tall tower; her sandals gripped into the shingles. She was crouched, her arms draped loosely over her knees as she scanned the palace behind her Anbu mask. Her hair was dyed brown by a Genjutsu, and just to throw them off more it was illusioned to look chin length.

She watched a guard patrol walk across a bridge over the little river running through the compounds luxurious garden. Jumping across the street and down onto the outer wall of the palace, she ran along it on light feet, coming to one of the many guard towers. She put her back against the stones, and she could faintly hear the changed guard walking down the steps, yawning and mumbling through the window about a long night.

She deftly climbed the tower, using the window sill and chakra to reach the top. She hung from the ledge, lifting herself so she could peek over the edge. The watch guard stood leaning on the railing on the opposite side, looking out over the capital city. A single lantern hung from the rafters. She pulled herself over the railing, falling and walking with light feet. She stood behind him, then put a kunai to the curve of his throat.

He went ridged, gasping. She swiftly gathered both of his arms behind his back, holding the wrist with strength close to bone breaking. The new guards legs bent as he groaned. She audibly heard his teeth grit. "Tell me where Hoyama is." Her voice was a whisper in his ear, so low the wind might snatch it like a thief. The guard growled, and her kunai dug, drawing blood that slipped down his throat, into his armor, and down his chest underneath. He was panting in fear, and he swallowed gently.

"The sand is dribbling out, watchman." She kicked him in the back of the legs, making him kneel on the ground as she pulled his arms up so high that his shoulder blades almost slid up and over one another like plates. He was groaning when he spoke, "Fuck you." She lifted his arms higher, and she heard the satisfying sound of his shoulder joints popping and his shoulder blades sliding.

"T-third floor! Ah!" She loosened her grip on his wrists a bit. "Will up let me go?" He sounded desperate, and ashamed, his honor destroyed by just a little interrogation. Her mouth curved. The weak were always the most afraid of death.

Crimson splashed over the railing and into the open night sky, falling to splatter on the cobblestone below. She stepped back as the guard grabbed at his spewing neck. She didn't watch the light fade from his eyes, instead turning around and nimbly hopping over the railing to fall to the garden. Her feet tapped against the ground as she crouched. She moved through the brightly colored garden, careful not to step into the light of the paper lanterns that hung above the dirt walkway that snaked through the flowers and trees.

She slinked through the night, hid for a moment underneath the outer walkway, then pulled herself up onto the first eave of the pagoda. She moved up the side of the building, coming to a stop at the third eave. She moved across the shingles, peeking in to look through the windows. Her shadow splayed onto the floors from the moonlight, and she was a silhouette in the night.

She looked into a room more luxurious than the others. She sent chakra to her eyes, allowing her to see a little better in the darkness. The bed was occupied, and the room was decorated with ancient heirlooms. She wiggled a special tool through the crack in the window, pushed the catch with the tip, and pulled the window up and open. She slid down to the floor, crossing the room and around the bed, peering at the face of the sleeper.

The description matched. Nodding to herself, she moved back through the room, the floorboards not even creaking from the ghosting touch of her steps. She went to an old set of ancient samurai armour next to the window. She stood, snapping her fingers to spark a fire between the pad of her thumb and pointer. The banners behind the armour took like kindle, and she placed a hand on the armour's shoulder plate. The room was set with an eerie glow as the fire grew larger and her shadow stretched across the floorboards.

Hoyama stirred, and she pushed the armour lightly, making it tumble to the ground in a cluster of loud noises. The plate slid across the ground, and the helmet stopped underneath another display. Hoyama had shot up at the sound and met her eyes. His head shot back not another second later, a kunai lodged in his forehead. He fell back into the bed like a sack, and then the door opened, and in came tumbling samurai.

They were screaming and pointing at her, but she didn't worry about that. She only made sure that the firelight lit up the leaf symbol on her mask. Several charged, and she bolted through the window, rolled on the eave, and fell into the night.

Disappearing into the darkness, she had no doubt that they thought that a clumsy assassin had made too much noise.

* * *

 ** _So...? What'd ya' think?_**

 ** _Oh, before you go, I wanted to get you guys' opinion on what Naruto's summoning contract should be._**

 ** _I was thinking Dragon's._**

 ** _Yes, i'm guilty of thinking Dragon'_** ** _s are badass. Like seriously, who doesn't like Dragon's? Stupid people, that's who! *Coughs* Well, I say that with no offense intended, but I just wanted you to know you're stupid for not like Dragon's...d_** ** _ummies._**

 ** _Anyway, I would also like to hear suggestions, but just know that I already have some special stuff with the Dragon's planned out already. But don't let that shy you away from making a suggestion!_**

 ** _See Ya!_**


	8. The Fastest Man in the World

**_Well, will you look at that, I can get out a chapter in less than a month. Who woulda thought? So yeah, i'm having fun writing again. And consequently, you guys get another chapter in less than a week._**

 ** _Okay, question time. As I said last time: feel free to skip this._**

 ** _Tsukoblue: The thing is, canon Naruto isn't focused on actual ninja. And by your logic, all the other summons are useless, too, since they should be sneaking about and cuttin' throats. If Naruto was focused on an actual ninja, then i'm sure Summoning wouldn't be a thing in the first place. But it's not, so my story isn't either. Just food for thought._**

 ** _The Amazing Grayson: Wolves and foxes_** _are_ ** _unoriginal, and I made up an idea a long time ago where Naruto has a Summoning Jutsu that allows him to summon five wolves, each with one element. They all had their fur highlighted by the color of their nature chakra. I thought it was pretty dope at the time, but that was years ago. Maybe that could be a secondary/lesser summon? Idk. I wouldn't have a problem with a feline, but something about it feels wrong_** ** _—t_** ** _he same goes for bears or wolverines. Hawks and Falcons...I don't know; they don't really match up to Dragon's. I'm totally biased here, I know, but thanks for the suggestion, anyway._**

 ** _Amouren: I was thinking a western style like the ones in Game of Thrones. I've never really felt that the Chinese dragons were all that cool._**

 ** _narujeff: As i've mentioned above, I don't really want to do them since they're unoriginal. I've read TONS of fics with both—a_** _ **nd for some reason fox's don't feel right to me. Weird, right? Maybe the people writing them had just written them weirdly. I faintly remember reading a fic with Fox summons that I really liked, but again, that was years ago. I might do the secondary summons with the elemental wolves, but meh...that's still in the air. And maybe a cheeky Kurama summon in the future...hehe.**_

 _ **Enjoy!**_

* * *

 ** _Ghosts of the Past_**

 ** _Chapter 8: The Fastest Man in the World_**

* * *

 _A part of me feared to return back to the fray. I was afraid to get attached to people again. I was afraid to trust. To hide my fear I hid behind a sarcastic and bold mask. Itachi understood this—he was the same way, but with a mask of apathy. Yet we found a bond of brotherhood between us in a very short amount of time. We came to trust each other and to see each other's strength's, even if we couldn't see it ourselves. I found myself trusting, and the Ghosts came out to play again._

 _The Ghosts that reminded me of what I used to and could've had._

* * *

 _ **—**_ ** _Naruto_** _ **—**_

He pushed aside a low-hanging branch, walking across the little treeless space in front of the cabin. He had decided. He would team up with Itachi and hear out his plan.

"Alright, we have a partnership," Naruto said, standing on the steps as Itachi stood in the doorway, leaning against the frame. Itachi nodded, motioning for him to come inside. He shook his head. "I want to figure a way to stop these damn eyes from sucking me dry of chakra." He took a step back down onto the grass. Itachi raised an eyebrow. "You're a Jinchuuriki, having active Sharingan isn't going to affect you very much." Itachi closed the door anyway. "Besides, I have a sneaking suspicion that you will be able to deactivate them." So he wouldn't have to be like Kakashi?

"How would that work?" Itachi joined him at the bottom of the steps. "I was going to explain this inside, but you had to be impatient. Anyway, your Uzumaki blood and Bijuu are slowly converting the eyes into your own. See, despite Kakashi having the eye in his head, and his chakra flowing through it, there's still traces of old Uchiha chakra in there _—_ which keeps the eyes active. This keeps them effective despite the same chakra not flowing through it. Even though Kakashi still supplies the eye with the needed chakra, it isn't anomaly correct for his chakra to activate it. Theoretically, If Kakashi _were_ somehow able to deactivate it, he wouldn't be able to reactivate them because the nerves used wouldn't even react to his chakra. However, for you, your chakra is slowly taking over the job of that previous chakra's, changing the anatomy of the eyes to fit your own."

"So, all we have to do is wait and then you should be able to use them freely."

Itachi finished with a nod—totally understanding it—and Naruto stared at him, his face devoid of comprehension. "Huh?" Itachi's hand twitched, and Naruto thought it funny that he almost face palmed. "The eyes are yours now, and you can deactivate them because _science._ " Naruto waved his hand dismissively, "Yeah, yeah. I got _that_ part, but what was all of that other nonsense about?" He did facepalm this time. "Don't worry about it." He muttered.

Naruto let the subject go with a shrug, "Alrighty." Itachi walked to the center of the tiny clearing. Naruto followed, fishing around for something in his pocket. He was still shirtless, and the burn on his skin had turned to a numb, pulsing pain. Itachi turned, and Naruto held out a piece of paper. It had a seal on it, and Itachi took it in his hands to get a closer look. Naruto watched the perplexed look on his face. Oh, so he couldn't understand it. Or, he just couldn't make out the whole thing—which meant he didn't know a lot about Fuinjutsu. Well, he guessed Itachi wasn't perfect after all.

"That's the blueprint to the Hirashin." Naruto filled in. Itachi's delicate eyebrows shot up, and he looked at Naruto like he had just popped out of a pie and slapped him in the face. "You can use it?" Naruto nodded, allowing some smugness to come into his smirk. Itachi humphed and turned the sheet over. "Why did you hand this to me? And why was it in your pocket?"

"I wanted you to know about it. We are partners, after all. Also—well, before all the shit with Orochimaru went down, I had used it to copy a fresh seal onto a tag, so I just kept it in my pocket. Luckily it wasn't destroyed." He was happy the Kyuubi had paid attention to where he put it because he couldn't fathom losing the original blueprint to some hot chakra. He also would've been rather embarrassed to be naked and unconscious if his pants had burnt off. Yeah, he would have to thank the Kyuubi later—as much as that irked him. He also couldn't fathom letting anyone but himself get enough time to figure it out; Orochimaru probably would have found the blueprint eventually. His dad would rise from the grave and strangle him if that happened.

Naruto took it back, "I need sealing tags and ink." Itachi nodded in agreement. "I'll get them when I head into town for supplies. That Jutsu will be very useful. Have you used it before?" Naruto nodded, folding the paper in on itself. "Once, and that was pure luck. But if I use my special training trick then i'm sure i'll figure it out again in no time at all."

"Training trick?" Naruto grinned mischievously and chuckled like he was planning something diabolical. He formed the clone seal.

 _ **"Tajū Kage Bunshin no Jutsu(Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu)!"**_

The clearing filled with puffs of smoke, and they faded away to reveal clones. They stood with sly grins, leaned on trees with cocky smirks, and playfully smiled as they sat on branches. Itachi rose an impressed eyebrow, "I see." He turned away from the clones and looked at Naruto, who looked ready to pass out. "But maybe you should've held back a little—you still are low on chakra, after all." Naruto panted, waving a dismissive hand. "No, no," he dry heaved. "I'm totally full." He blanched and collapsed into the grass, wheezing and sweating.

As Naruto gaped like a fish, Itachi turned back to the clones. "So you use them to collect experience, splitting the time to minuscule amounts." Naruto wearily held up a thumbs-up, too tired to do anything else. Itachi hummed in interest. "Very clever," he said, walking to a group of clones. He pointed at three of them. "You, you, and you—All of you will go to town and get supplies." By the tone of his voice, the clones seemed to understand that they couldn't refuse. So, they all jumped to salute, jogging off at a rapid pace, but Itachi yelled after them. "Towns that way!" He pointed in the opposite direction, and the clones returned with sheepish grins and flustered cheeks. "All of you Henge into a different person. I don't want Naruto's description to be readily available to strangers so close to us." He handed one a list as they passed.

A chorus of "Right, Boss!" sounded out from the trio.

Naruto sat up, finally getting some grasp on his breath. "They listen to you more than me." He grumbled, scowling at the clones as they disappeared into the brush. Itachi brushed off his comment, walking over and holding out his hand. Naruto stared at it. "What, want a high-five?" He snorted. "Last I checked, pushing around a bunch of clones isn't a thing to celebrate about." Itachi narrowed his eyes at him critically, and Naruto met his eyes with a wry grin.

"The blueprint, please," Itachi said, urging him with a wave of his hand. Naruto muttered protests as he gave it over. Itachi went to another group. "You five will memorize this seal. And when those three come back, you'll use the ink, paper, and brush to make as many seals as possible." He ordered. They all obeyed, gathering around the one that Itachi handed the blueprint to.

"What about kunai?" Naruto asked, standing, holding out his arms for balance. The world was spinning. He took a step, wobbled, then slapped himself in the face. His eyes crossed, then uncrossed, and he smiled as he walked up to Itachi. "I have plenty," Itachi said. "No, I mean, my dad used special—and cool—kunai." Naruto scrunched his face. "Did I ever tell you that the Yondaime was my dad?" Itachi shook his head, then lifted his shoulders. "I kinda guessed. You did have one of his scrolls, and you might as well be his clone. So i'm only slightly surprised." Naruto pouted. "Can't surprise you with anything, can I?"

"You surprised me with you actually knowing how to use one of the world's most complicated sealing formula. It's not every day that a sixteen-year-old understands a space-time seal." Naruto crossed his arms in smug pride. "But i've never seen someone with burns stand in the sun without a shirt." Naruto deflated.

Itachi pointed. "Go stand over there in the shade. I'll give out some more instructions." Naruto sulked over to the tree like he was being punished, plopping down and pouting out a lip. He placed his chin in his hands and watched. Itachi would give out some order, and the clones would salute and run off to do some task. As he watched, his eyes drooped. He jolted awake a few times, but he finally closed his eyes, sleeping peacefully in the grass.

* * *

 ** _— Clone Naruto —_**

 _— Nearby Town —_

Clone Naruto turned a trinket of wood over in his hand, and the old crone who ran the shop talked to him in a gravelly voice that he promptly had decided to ignore long ago. "Oh, really?" He let interest slip into his voice when he heard the matter-of-fact tone of the ladies words as she explained to him something or another. She nodded her head, and Clone Naruto thought that her wrinkly neck might snap just from the simple motion. _Easy up there, speedy_. He smirked. "Well, I thank you for letting me look at your wares." He placed the trinket back down and walked off, the woman clearly angry that she had just spent the last ten minutes yapping in his ear and not selling anything.

He was Henged as a middle-aged man, and he had made himself look as dull and nondescript as possible. He made his way back to the town center. They had agreed to all meet back there after a few hours. The paper bag of ink jars and brushes was tucked underneath his arm, and he made his gait feeble and shy. No one remembered a shy guy.

He stood in the square with crossed arms, turning around every once in a while in search of his brother clones. He finally spotted one, and he made a scowl at his Henge. His fellow clone had thought it would be funny to transform into a woman. Which was fine, but he had decided to give her giant tits, and the damn things jiggled and bounced every time she swayed her hips.

So much for being nondescript.

The Henged clone herself was fascinated with the size, tripping over her feet because she was staring too long. "Holy shit these are heavy." Boobie Clone complained as she got closer, and Clone Naruto uncrossed his arms. "But so worth it." She added with a perverted grin, grabbing the mounds in her hands. Clone Naruto shook his head, fighting a blush. "You just had to make a show of things, didn't you?" Boobie Clone shrugged, and it created waves. This time blushing, Clone Naruto snatched the paper bag from Boobie Clone and put the contents in his bag, which was on the ground at his feet. Crouched, he saw another paper bag drop next to his.

He looked up at his other brother clone. He had Henged as a kid, and had also taken his tactic of plain, but he openly stared at Boobie Clone. "Did you find everything?" He asked as he loaded the contents of the kids bag into his own. Kid Clone blinked, coming back to himself. "Eh? Oh, yeah, sure." He blankly stared again. Boobie Clone grinned, then shook her chest. "Stoooooop!" Clone Naruto stuffed the full paper bag into Kid Clone's hands and put a finger under Boobie Clones nose. "This isn't the time. We need to get back so the others can practice with these seals." He kept his voice stern, and Boobie Clone rolled her eyes. "Pfffft. Relax, we have plenty of time."

Before Clone Naruto could yell more, another voice spoke. It was sonorous, vicious, and sent shivers down his spine. "I never thought I'd find clone's in this place—especially Jinchuuriki clones." Simultaneously, all of them turned toward the newcomer, each head on a creaky swivel.

It was Kisame.

He grinned at them with his sharp teeth. His Akatsuki cloak hung loosely on his body and the bandaged sword on his back peaked over his shoulder. The clones stood frozen. "Well?" He said, impatient. They all slowly glanced at each other, and telepathically agreed to say nothing. "Speak up! Who are you!" He set his shark eyes on each of them, and then he looked at Boobie Clone. His grin seemed to get wider.

Boobie Clone covered her ginormous tits—which didn't work at all—and spat in Kisame's face. "Pervert!" Kisame growled, grabbing the handle of his giant wrapped sword. He swung it up over his shoulder and down at them like a hammer. "Scatter!" They all bounced away, and the sword came crashing down. Clone Naruto stopped on a roof of a house next to the street, turning around to look at Kisame and the huge crater his sword had made. Kisame hoisted Samehada onto his shoulder.

Clone Naruto grinned at him. "I'm not allowed to talk to strangers, ya' know? The Boss wouldn't like that."

"Oh, and who would this 'boss' be?" His smile was sadistic.

Clone Naruto put a hand on his chin, acting as if he was contemplating answering. He smiled.

"How 'bout this: You lick my ass, and i'll think about it, 'kay?"

Kisame's face went red in anger—which looked weird on his blue complexion—and shot off the ground, twisting in the air with that giant monster blade. Clone Naruto rolled on his shoulder to his left; and behind him, shingles and wood flew into the air in splinters. He came from his roll at a dead sprint, tauntingly laughing as he hopped to another roof.

He dove to the left at the peak of the roof, narrowly avoiding the arc of Samehada as it slashed for his head. He flipped into a handstand and held onto the peak, spun his body, then slammed it chest first onto the other face of the roof. "Oof!" He slid on his belly down the opposite side as Samehada split the peak, sending more dust and splinters in the air. He stood, dusting himself off as Kisame pulled his 'sword' from the roof. The damn thing might as well be considered a bludgeon. The bandages had torn, and vicious scales gleamed from the tears.

Kisame chuckled, and Clone Naruto frowned. "You're quick, aren't you!?" He leveled the shark skin monster at him. "But if you get even a bit more of your chakra stolen, then you're done for." He was right. Despite his deft dodging, Samehada had been sucking him dry.

 _They're probably far enough now._ Clone Naruto shrugged, smiling unabashedly. "I guess it was my time anyway." He made his voice dramatic, trying to make it seem tragic. Kisame's smile fell.

He punched himself in the face.

* * *

 _ **—**_ ** _Naruto_** _ **—**_

The memories of his clones brief encounter with Kisame startled him from his nap. He shot up into a sitting position; his imprint outlined in the grass. His eyes quickly darted to Itachi—who was lounging in the shade of another tree with a few clones. He was teaching them about something, pointing at a diagram of the human body painted in a unrolled scroll. Naruto pushed his hands into the grass and sprung to his feet, jogging over to Itachi. Itachi noticed him and stopped his lesson. "I can't believe you have no experience with learning the human body. Last I checked, they gave you at least a small overview of the whole thing before you became a genin." Naruto stepped over a clone, getting into the half circle they created around Itachi. The cross-legged clones looked up at him with annoyed expressions. One of them was even taking notes. Traitors.

"I slept a little in the Academy," Naruto said. Itachi lifted an eyebrow, and several of the clones snorted. He glared, "Fine, a lot." He grumbled, but then he yelled, "but that doesn't matter! My clones just saw Kisame!" Itachi's shoulders jolted at his declaration. "Did he confront them?" He asked, rolling up the scroll in his hand and handing it off to one of the sitting clones in a hurry. "Yeah, he somehow knew that they were clones of a Jinchuuriki." Itachi looked ready to curse, but Naruto could tell that he stopped himself.

"He must be looking for me." Itachi paced out of the half ring of clones, Naruto following behind. They stopped simultaneously, Naruto almost on his heels. Itachi had a contemplative look and tense shoulders. _So the shark freak is even more of a danger than I thought. He's got Itachi all shaken up._ "He wasn't able to discover our location."

"Hm, but he also now know's there's a Jinchuuriki here. And i'm betting he wants to fight you. He has many...predatory instincts. He's not one to let prey go."

Naruto grinned, clenching his fists together. "Then let's fight 'em!" He was excited and a little nervous. Besides, you didn't just let the Tailless Tailed Beast hunt you.

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves." Itachi held out a hand to halt his hype. "You still have very little chakra and your body is weak." Naruto chuffed, "I'm as fresh a newborn baby." Itachi lifted a hand, and Naruto watched it in confusion. "What are you—" Itachi slapped him on his burnt back. Naruto screamed, scrunching up his back as he hopped around on one leg. He collapsed to the ground, crying in a high pitch squeal. He tried to rub his back, but the pain was at the center, so he couldn't reach it. "My point exactly," Itachi said, folding his arms. Naruto pouted and sniffled on the ground, groaning. "You're so unfair!" Itachi smiled in slight amusement. His smile was small—merely a tiny curve—and Naruto felt that Itachi hadn't shown his teeth his whole life. He glared at him from the blades of grass.

Itachi turned to survey the area around them. "Your clones have made progress," he said, "but you have a long way to be back at full strength."

Naruto stood, hunched and holding his lower back. "At least let me help if you start to lose, "Naruto grumbled, glaring at him from underneath his yellow bangs. Itachi looked contemplative. "I don't know..." Just then, the clones sent to town burst through the trees, panting and sticky with sweat. Naruto turned and motioned his head to tell them to come over. "Kisame is—"

"—I know." The clone clapped his mouth shut and looked downhearted, knowing what that meant. "Thank you for your help," Naruto said as he took the paper bag from the other clone. The two looked at each other and then simultaneously popped into smoke. Naruto shook his heads at the memories they gave him. His clones were so much like him that it was scary. He started to rummage through the bag. Itachi took the bag from his wandering hands. "What makes you think you can help in your condition?" Naruto grinned slyly, again reaching into the bag. This time, he pulled out the paper tags and ink. "I'm the fastest man on earth." Naruto's smile nearly split his foxy cheeks. "If he can't touch me, then he can't hurt me. "

He hurled his body around to face the clones memorizing the original blueprint. "Oi! Fuck outta here!" The clones looked up at him, and he waved a dismissive hand. They passed glances but then poofed away. Naruto turned back to him, his head pounding from the memories of hours of memorizing. He was grinning cheekily. "Well?"

Itachi rolled his eyes as Naruto called up more clones. The smoke faded away, and Itachi nodded his head.

"I guess I can't stop you." Naruto whooped.

"But you have to wear a disguise."

* * *

 _ **— Itachi —**_

 _— Night —_

Itachi walked into the restaurant, eye quickly finding the large blue man in the corner booth. He walked around tables, listening to the conversation that Kisame was having with a tiny little waitress. "What do you mean you don't have shrimp?" Kisame's voice was alto, and his face was close to severe. The little brown headed waitress was shaking, stuttering. "W-we are s-so far from the sea, s-sir, and shipments this far inland are v-v-very expensive." She seemed particularly frightened of the large scaly sword propped up in the seat next to Kisame. He had his hand on the skull pommel at the end of the handle, his finger thumping against it rhythmically.

"You're going to make the poor girl faint, Kisame." Itachi slid into the other side of the booth. Kisame snorted and grinned at him while the waitress looked completely surprised by his arrival. Itachi moved his elbow's onto the table, clasping his hands together. "You don't have to get us anything," he said, leaning forward and glancing at Kisame from the corner of his eye. "We won't be long. Just a simple chat." The waitress bowed, blushing and fumbling away; jolting a chair when she almost accidently tripped over it.

Kisame looked annoyed that he couldn't torture her anymore, but he yelled at her. "Bring some sake!" By the way she jumped—tipping the contents of her tray—she had heard him. Kisame's sharp white teeth grinned at him. "Where were you?" He gave him a once over. "And what happened to your cloak?" Itachi placed his clasped hands over his mouth. He made his face serious. "I had a few things come up along the way." He lifted a shoulder, closing his eyes. "Unimportant things." Kisame laughed, then leaned in. "There's a Jinchuuriki here!" He whispered in excitement; his gilled cheeks crinkled like a happy child's

Itachi acted slightly surprised, lifting an eyebrow. "Do you know which one?" He asked, leaning back as the waitress brought two sake bottle and shot glasses, giving each one. She scurried away quickly, tears in her eyes because Kisame had growled at her. "I think its the Kyuubi brat." Itachi sighed. Kisame laughed, "We should hurry up and go get him before he bolts out of the Land of Fire!" Itachi shook his head, "That's a waste of time." Kisame smashed his hand onto the table, making the bottles careen. "I won't let him get away, Itachi." His eyes changed into that of a predator's. "He isn't someone to let roam freely."

Itachi stood, and Kisame copied him, but his hand was on Samehada's handle. "You think he's dangerous?" Kisame laughed sarcastically. "Kami, no. I just don't want the little shit to disappear again. It'll be a pain to find him again, especially since Zetsu has a hard time finding him in the first place." Itachi lifted his head skeptically. He had a hard time believing that. The two stared, and Itachi picked up the sake bottle at his waist. He turned it in his hand, looking at his reflection in the porcelain. "I guess its come to this, then." In his image, the Sharingan activated in the black of his eyes.

In an instant, he tossed away the bottle, put his left hand on the corner of the table and flipped it on its side against the wall. His other hand flashed forward, and the gleam of a kunai caught the corner of his eye. The kunai passed by Kisame's neck by a centimeter and stuck into the booth wall. Itachi's chest almost touched Kisame's, and the two stared into each other's eyes. Kisame was faster than he looked. Itachi pumped more chakra into his eyes, and the pattern of his Mangekyou reflected back from Kisame's. Kisame looked at Itachi's mouth the moment he saw the pattern.

Kisame grinned, laughing in a disbelieving shock. "What are you doing, Itachi? Trying to use Tsukuyomi on me?" Itachi could hear his grip tighten on Samehada's handle. "Are you betraying the Akatsuki?" His voice darkened, and his chuckle deepened "You know what happen's when people leave the Akatsuki." He stated. After a moment of silence, Itachi nodded. Kisame's grin lengthened, and he swung Samehada from the waist in an upward diagonal slash. Itachi had been anticipating this. He burst into a murder of crows when the sword connected, and the swing went through the flock harmlessly. They flew to the door of the restaurant, passing over people's heads.

The place had been flung into chaos, and people screamed, hid behind chairs, tables, and the bar.

Itachi reformed at the door, his hands at his sides. Kisame sneered, stomping across the restaurant, swinging his massive sword to move chairs and tables. The furniture turned to splinters under the force, and they peppered down onto the heads of the people. Itachi backed out the door, and when Kisame reached the door, he swung. The wall and doors were shredded, and dust collected at the front of the restaurant. Itachi kept his pace going backward. Kisame burst from the cloud, swinging Samehada. Itachi slid out the way, dipping around all of the wild return swings.

He turned his shoulder away as Samehada cut downward and smashed into the ground. Kisame didn't let it stay there long because he swung it to the side with a yell. Itachi jumped out of the range of the wide arc, setting some distance between them. Kisame held the giant scaly sword in one hand, and his other stayed at his side. "What caused you to leave?" He asked, and in answer, Itachi pulled his sleeve up; revealing his hand and the shuriken between each finger. He pounced into action, swinging his arm, throwing the stars at a blurring speed. His fingers wove in hand seals.

 _ **"Shuriken Kage Bunshin No Jutsu(Ninja Art: Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu)!"**_

The shuriken multiplied into thousands, and Kisame moved his sword in front of himself in a crude shield. Seeing this, Itachi shot his other hand forward, flinging kunai in a fanning arc. The kunai split the air as they bulleted toward the mass of shuriken. They caught up easily and the collided with some of the shurikens. The shuriken's paths curved, and the others hit Samehada, pinging off the scales. More kunai hit the curving shuriken when they were on either side of Kisame. They ricocheted and shot straight for him. The kunai bounced off and stuck into the buildings on either side.

Kisame jumped into the air, and Itachi blurred through more hand seals.

 _ **"** **Katon: Hōsenka no Jutsu(Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu)!"**_

A volley of fireballs shot from Itachi's mouth, which he held the tiger seal up to. The fireballs shot and curved unpredictably, and Kisame was sitting uselessly in the sky.

 _ **"Suiton: Suidan no Jutsu(Water Syle: Water Bullet Technique)!"**_

A torrent of water spread out and rained down from Kisame's mouth. The Phoenix flowers were snuffed when the two techniques hit, and the water bullet continued to fall toward Itachi. Itachi pushed off the ground as the water crashed into the earth and flooded a portion of the ground, creating mud. Itachi landed on the dirt, and the hairs on the back of his neck stood up. His head turned, and in slow motion the pupils of his Mangekyou expanded when he saw the sharp grin of Kisame and the scales of Samehada.

Samehada hit like a hammer on an anvil, bending his side in and shredding through cloak, clothing, and flesh. The cracks of bones echoed in his ears, and Itachi was sent barreling through the air. He crashed into a building, splintering wood like veins. Itachi slid down the side of the wall and sat leaned up against it. His back had created a deep hole in the wall filled with bent and cracked wood.

Kisame laughed, walking toward him; his hulking sword held easily in one hand. Itachi coughed, blood dripping from his lips and onto his chin. He had a few broken ribs. He tried to move but winced at the motion. Scratch that. A lot of ribs. He also felt a sharp pain in his lower back. Kisame's face was sadistic as he loomed over him. "I thought you were smarter than this." Samehada came down over his head, and Kisame chuckled.

A scream pierced the air.

 _ **"Rasengan!"**_

* * *

 ** _— Kisame —_**

A powerful attack hit him in the gut. Pain veined through his body as the attack swirled around and destroyed his insides. Chakra swirled visibly in the air. He flew back and dug a trench in the dirt with his body. He cursed, feeling Samehada give him chakra to heal the wound. The tissue, muscles, and organs knitted back together, and he felt the pain fade just a bit. "I had it under control." Itachi's voice said from some distance away from where he should be. Another person snorted in Itachi's place. "I thought i'd finish it for you." Kisame could hear the dismissive shrug in his voice.

Kisame stood, holding his stomach. Blood caked his hand, wrist, and stomach, but the wound wasn't fatal anymore. Itachi stood in the middle of the street to his left, completely unharmed and relaxed. Another person in a black half-face mask and cloak stood where Itachi _should_ have been, right in front of him. The road was mud and water free, the kunai and shuriken weren't all scattered about, and the cracks in the side of the building were gone. _Genjutsu,_ He thought with a growl. To them, he had just been flailing around and swinging madly at nothing.

"That's why I didn't want you coming out so early." Itachi nodded his head toward his red, newly scarred stomach. The other person tilted his head, his windswept, blonde hair shifting with the motion. Kisame recognized him then. "You're the Kyuubi brat," He said, swooping down to pick up Samehada. It growled at him, hungry for some chakra after his gift of healing. _You'll get plenty._

Last he remembered, the kid had blue eyes, but now he had Sharingan.

"You betrayed the Akatsuki for some _brat_?" He glared at Itachi from the corner of his eye. Itachi said nothing, only walking up the street to stand next to the Jinchuuriki. His eyes followed him the entire time. The Kyuubi brat snorted, and the fabric of his mask tightened with the taunt of his smile. "I heard you forget cookies at the meetings." Kisame sneered as the brat laughed. "I've never heard of a more boring get together!"

"Quiet!" He slammed Samehada against the ground, smashing it into rocks.

The Jinchuuriki just kept smiling.

 _We'll see who's smiling after I chop your legs off!_ He put Samehada into a two handed grip, sliding his feet to widen his stance. He was done playing. The Jinchuuriki only pulled out a scroll, broke it open, and then unraveled it. The seal on the inside was pointed at Kisame, and he squinted to read it. It was a storage seal but slightly modified. By what?

A puff of smoke popped in front of it, and dozens of kunai shot from the cloud at him. Kisame tensed but then realized that they weren't headed for him. The kunai pierced the ground all around him, scattered all over the street. He looked to his left and right, and the kunai only stayed there harmlessly. Yet he stayed weary. There was no telling what this was. He had a sneaking suspicion crawling to the front of his mind. Something about this sounded familiar.

The thump of the scroll hitting the ground turned his attention back to his opponents. The Kyuubi brat removed his cloak and let it pile onto the ground. Kisame noticed that he had a faint red glow around him. Bijuu chakra. He wore a blue high-collared shirt with no sleeves and open sides, and his arms and hands were all wrapped up in bandages from fingertips to shoulder. From what Kisame could tell, his whole torso was wrapped. He wore grey ninja pants wrapped with tape at the shins and knees; his sandals were blue.

If Samehada hadn't gotten a taste of his chakra and he hadn't met him three years ago—he wouldn't recognize him. Especially with the half mask and Sharingan eyes.

What was his name again? He had heard it once or twice...

Naruto. That was his name.

The brat Naruto formed the clone seal, and two copies appeared. Samehada growled to him. _Chakra in the air? What's he planning?_ Kisame started to go through hand seals. He wouldn't let him do whatever he wanted to do. The brat threw a kunai.

 ** _"Suiton: Bakusui Shōha(Water Style: Exploding Water Shock Wave)—"_**

Suddenly, Naruto disappeared. Kisame inhaled, remembering just what the technique was. But he was too late.

Kunai's slipped in his side's, and Naruto appeared above him, holding another chakra ball. The ball of chakra spun the air itself with its power, and Naruto aimed it straight for his head.

Kisame roared.

* * *

 ** _— Naruto_** ** _—_**

He twisted his body, shoving his Rasengan forward, yelling at the top of his lungs. Two clones stood on both sides of the shocked Kisame, stabbing him with kunai. Kisame roared. Naruto's wind barrier was broken, and he teleported away, his attack unfinished. He had to pump more chakra than necessary because Samehada was absorbing his chakra. He leaped to one of the kunai to Kisame's left, and he saw Samehada complete its attack at him by spinning and destroying the clones. Kisame bellowed, running at him with both kunai still stuck from his sides. The roar of a Great Fireball and the heat turned Kisame away, and he moved in a blur—using his sword to cut the flame in half. The two split fires scarred the dirt with soot and hit the walls of a house, setting it alight.

Naruto hurled a kunai and flicked his wrist for another one to slip from his sleeve. When the kunai reached above Kisame's head, Naruto jumped, appearing next to him in the air. He did a full acrobatic spin, stabbing his kunai down at Kisame's throat. Kisame moved his body at an angle, making the kunai stab his trapezius; right between neck and shoulder. The wind was sliced through again by the hulking Samehada, and Naruto teleported down to a kunai at the ground, pumping more chakra into the wind.

Samehada ate chakra like a starved beast.

Naruto changed his chakra in the air into wind and guided it. Samehada sucked up most of it, but some was enough. The wind blades converged on Kisame, and dozens of wounds split his skin. Blood droplets flew into the air, and Naruto twirled around another kunai and stabbed it into Kisame's foot. He then teleported to the kunai on Itachi. This happened before Kisame could even finish the swing that had tried to get him for stabbing his shoulder.

Dust gathered at his feet as he crouched, panting from using up so much chakra so quickly. With his reserves so low, he had to rely on the Kyuubi—which the Bijuu wasn't letting him live down. **"More?"** It grumbled, and Naruto groaned. _Now's not the time!_ The Kyuubi scoffed, and hot chakra flooded his chakra pipes. Naruto stood as Kisame stumbled, blood falling from his wounds in thick streams. He panted and stabilized himself. "You...you know the Hiraishin." He chuckled. "Should've known the second I spotted the seals." The wounds were healing, though.

"We have to attack together," Itachi said under his breath. Naruto agreed. He readied himself, but Kisame's roar froze him.

 ** _"Suiton: Daibakufu no Jutsu(Water Style: Giant Vortex Jutsu)!"_**

Water droplets formed in the air, growing bigger and bigger while more and more materialized from the particles in the air. The large globs of water started to turn around in a circle, lengthening like a bubble through a large ring. The blobs connected and the turning became violent. A vortex formed as more and more water conjured. The vortex barrelled forward, tearing up dirt and rocks from the ground—turning the water a light brown—and burrowing a trench in the ground.

Naruto gaped, and Itachi reached over and grabbed a handful of the back of his shirt.

 ** _"Kuchiyose no Jutsu(Summoning Jutsu)!"_**

A cloud of smoke consumed his vision and Naruto lurched, almost falling on his butt, but Itachi kept him up. A powerful gust of wind pushed away the cloud and the ground—consequently the vortex, too—was getting farther and farther away. The giant crow took them above the vortex and rooftops, and he could see the end of the town from here; which is to say that the town wasn't very big, so they weren't that high.

The loud crashing of the vortex hitting the buildings caused him to wince. The water tore through the wood easily, and it took the planks and shattered window glass with it. Broken furniture spun too, being shredded to bits and flung around and around. The giant water vortex tore through house after house, cutting a straight line through the village. All the people. Naruto clenched his fists. _Stupid! You should've led him out of the town!_ He berated himself harshly, his teeth grinding against each other.

The crow flapped its giant wings, blowing gusts that messed up his hair and clothes every beat. "Look, Naruto." Itachi was pointing a distance away, and Naruto looked. He saw a large mass of people walking up a hill to another crowd. He felt his anger leave him. "Thank Kami," He breathed easy. The vortex faded away, and the destruction had even reached the outside of the village to a small copse. The trench was filled with water, and debris floated in it.

"Thank you, Kuhia-san." Itachi thanked the crow. It screeched, "Anything for you, Itachi-sama." Flapping its giant wings, it started to circle around. "What now? He can heal fatal wounds, so we're kinda outta options with that. And, ya' know, that's kinda the only way to beat someone for good." Itachi nodded. "We have to separate him from Samehada." Kuhia squawked, "Look, Itachi-sama!" The two looked over the crows head and spotted Kisame on a rooftop. He was talking to some half black half white creature.

"Zetsu..." Naruto turned his head up to Itachi, and then back down to Kisame. "What is it?" They looked like they were arguing, and Kisame's face was livid. "I'm not sure," Itachi responded, leaning back away from looking. Kisame spat, and the thing—man?—melded into the roof like it was a part of it. Kisame looked up at them, and with a sneer he turned around and jumped the opposite way. "He's running! We gotta get 'em!" Naruto tapped the crows head, urging him to chase after. "No, we'll let him go." Naruto scoffed, turning around to look at him. "He knows who I am!" Itachi was watching Kisame's dot in the distance. "So does Zetsu. It won't matter if we kill him now or later. Besides, we need to come up with a strategy to beat him." Naruto grumbled, admitting he was right.

He sat on Kuhia's feathers, finally feeling his exhaustion after his high of adrenaline died. Naruto saw Itachi turn toward the cabin.

"Let's go home."

* * *

 ** _Woo! That was a long one!_**

 ** _Hope ya'll enjoyed._**

 ** _Feel free to leave thoughts and questions in a quick review._**

 ** _See Ya!_**


	9. Marionettes in the Sand

**_Yo._**

 ** _So, only two reviews on the last chapter, hmm? You guys can do better than that! Come on!_**

 ** _Kidding, kidding._**

 ** _Anyway, response time!_**

 ** _Amouren: I try to add a bit of comedy here and there, so i'm glad I was able to amuse one person._**

 _ **TheLlama123: You know, I never actually thought of using Menma's summons. It's really tempting, actually. Like, i've always liked them, but I think the problem with them is that they came from the Dark Kyuubi(if I remember correctly), and this Kyuubi isn't the dark one. Btw, how does a malevolent chakra monster get eviler? *Shrugs cluelessly* I like the idea, but there are complications...**_

 _ **Enjoy!**_

* * *

 ** _Ghosts of the Past_**

 ** _Chapter 9: Marionettes in the Sand_**

* * *

 _I used to fear losing everything so much that it haunted my every waking moment. Just the thought of losing every little thing that I had fought for after a life of loneliness was enough to send me into a depressed mess. I did lose everything when Danzo betrayed me, but I survived that, somehow. Now those Ghosts find me again, and I feel the crushing weight of it all coming back to me._

* * *

 _ **—Sakura**_ ** _—_**

— Konoha Graveyard —

The large statue that was supposed to represent the Will of Fire was a backdrop to the ceremony. It was shaped like a swirling fire and painted a bright red, and down at the last step of the dais, all the families gathered around the gravestones of the fallen in respect. They held the ceremony here because it was supposed to represent the passing of time and that no matter what there would always be a generation to protect Konoha.

Or something like that.

They were lined up, each being handed a Jonin flak jacket one by one, most of them her classmates. "As war with Kumogakure looms closer, it is my honor to present to you the newest generation of protectors of the Will of Fire!" Danzo's voice boomed. "As they head off to war, I wish them all strength and honor as they fight for the good of their village!" Danzo said, standing on a podium to the side. A polite clap came from the crowd. Since it was mostly clan heads—because most of the promotees were heirs—there was an official air to the crowd.

Sakura bit the inside of her cheek. It was Danzo's fault that they were going to another war anyway, yet he stood there spouting nonsense about the good of Konoha? He had sent an assassin to assassinate a Lightning Lord. Now Kumogakure shinobi and the Lightning Daimyo's samurai pressed on the Land of Fires' borders. Danzo openly denied the accusation, calling the act of war a slight against Konoha's honor. Yet he was the one who had taken over the Land of Wind, the Land of Rivers, and the Land of Hot Water in unwarranted war. Suna had asked for peace and had been manipulated by Orochimaru, but Danzo attacked anyway, and the other two countries didn't do anything to Konoha, yet they were invaded as well.

Danzo openly denied the accusation, calling the act of war a slight against Konoha's honor. Yet he was the one who had taken over the Land of Wind, the Land of Rivers, and the Land of Hot Water in unwarranted war. Suna had asked for peace and had been manipulated by Orochimaru, but Danzo attacked anyway, and the other two countries didn't do anything to Konoha, yet they were invaded as well.

Everyone knew he was on a campaign of creating an empire, and it was obvious that he was winning. Even then, rebel groups had popped up in every country that he had invaded, but the problem was that Danzo forced the samurai and ninja of the countries to fight in his army. So he basically had people fighting against their own countrymen. It was horrible.

Sakura took her flak jacket, bowing to the crowd and then Danzo; as they had been told to do.

She had been the last one, and Danzo said some closing speech, droning on about the greatness of Konoha. She hated him, and her anger was so blinding that she had to walk out of the graveyard as soon as the congratulatory clapping finished. Sakura stood at the front gate, nursing a headache that was growing in her temples. People filed down the steps and out the gate. Some of the newly promoted jonin that she didn't know were talking to their families excitedly, clutching their flack jackets to their chests or handing it off for others to see.

"Oi, Forehead!" Sakura sighed, turning to the approaching Ino. Sakura noticed the remaining Rookie Nine and their parents behind Ino. _Rookie Seven, now._ At the reminder that they were down two members, Sakura mused the thought of how different this day would be if Sasuke and Naruto were here. Naruto would jump around and yell excitedly about how awesome being a jonin was. He would brag about how he was one step closer to Hokage, rubbing it into everyone's faces about how great he was. Sasuke would probably act like he didn't care and had deserved the position the whole time, but that smirk on his face would tell her that he was happy, too.

"What is it, _Pig_?" She really hated being called forehead, especially since she had grown into her 'billboard brow.' Sakura smiled, though, and despite the returned insult, Ino smiled too. "All of us were planning on going out to the steakhouse," Ino said, stopping and gesturing to the group behind her. "You down?" Sakura nodded, "Definitely."

"Then let's go!" Chouji yelled, leading the group with his parents on his heels. Everyone laughed at their enthusiasm. Sakura pushed away all of her worries and allowed herself to smile. Naruto and Sasuke were fine, and she would find them.

She just didn't know what the Hokage would do to them.

That brought another thing she hadn't thought of...

They had left before the wars, but maybe they were onto something when they left...or at least, maybe Naruto knew what kind of man Danzo was. He had been the most loyal out everyone, but he left a few days after Danzo became Hokage.

Which brought the question: How did Naruto of all people come to know what kind of man Danzo was?

* * *

 _ **— Naruto —**_

 _— Land of Wind_ _—_

The desert went on forever, which felt like an understatement by how many sand dunes he had walked. Add that to the fact that the wind was peppering him in the face with sand and the gusts created waves in the drifts that changed the landscape every hour, and you could see why he looked ready to die. "Are you sure they're here?" He yelled at Itachi, and the wind took the opportunity to put sand down his throat. "Pffffffffft!" He jumped around and stuck his tongue between his lips and tried to blow the sand off. It didn't help. More sand stuck to the end of his tongue, and he spat until his mouth was dry and he left a trail of saliva over a dune. "I hate saaand!" He yelled, his voice echoing for miles. He almost choked on more sand.

"Pull up your mask. It'll help," Itachi said, turning around so Naruto could see the cowl around his mouth and neck. Naruto put his hand over his mouth, then said in a muffled voice, "It's hot." His stare and voice were flat, and Itachi only shrugged at him. He was sticky with sweat, and he might need a chisel to peel his clothes off. His tongue was like a fat piece of leather that slurred his words. "Pick the lesser evil," Itachi said, turning back around. Naruto decided that they were both equally evil, but he also decided that he didn't want to drown with sand stuffed down his throat.

"So you're _sure_ they're out here?" He could already feel the mask sticking to the sweat on his face.

"If I wasn't sure then we wouldn't be out here."

"Touché"

The peaks of mountains were blurred in the horizon, the heat waves making their image dance. The Rocky Peaks was the name of the mountain range, and the tallest was the Sand Tongue—which was to the southeast, more toward Sunagakure. They were headed more west than south, where the base supposedly was.

Naruto crawled up a dune on his hands and knees, panting and wheezing. "I think leaving a Hiraishin kunai behind was the smartest idea i've ever had." He wheezed dryly," _Ever_." He couldn't stand the thought of traveling through this desert again. He felt like at any moment he might burst into flame.

Naruto stood up next to Itachi, who had stopped at the top. "How did you know they were here?" He panted, putting his hands on his hips and tilting his head back like it could help him gulp down more air. The sun made him squint and shade his eyes with a hand. "Asking around the right places," Itachi said as he scanned the dunes. He left it at that, sliding down into the dip. Naruto groaned, sliding down after.

Naruto stayed sat on the ground with a leg underneath him and one out front when he reached the bottom. "You didn't kill anyone, did you?" Itachi looked at him like _he_ had killed someone. "Kami, no." He sounded offended, but Naruto just thought that was his heat stroke talking. "That's nice," He said with a droll attitude, crawling over to the other side. He kept his eye on Itachi as he treaded his way up the sand drift. Naruto looked around, his gloves digging into the hot sand, crawling upward reluctantly. "I just find it hard to believe that you found out where rebels are—because rebels have been notoriously picky about who know about their hideouts."

Itachi turned around and stared down at him from uphill, and Naruto looked up when the sand stopped sliding down at his hands. He clapped his lips together and locked his jaw, stopping himself from squeaking in fear. Itachi glared at him, and Naruto could spot the red between the narrow crease of his eyes. "Right, it's not important," Naruto rambled nervously, ducking his head and crawling up the sand dune past Itachi. He breathed easy when he heard Itachi start to walk up behind him. When he reached the top, he stood tall on top of the sand pile, looking out at all the others. "Is it just me or have these things gotten bigger?" Itachi came up next to him, pulling out his waterskin. "Or maybe the heat's getting to me. I told you wearing a mask was a bad idea."

Itachi ignored him, uncorking the waterskin. "Scan the area, please," he said instead, taking a swig. Naruto rolled his eyes, holding out a hand as he changed his chakra to sensory mode and spread it out. Itachi placed the skin in his palm, and he took a drink, too. Lowering the water, he narrowed his eyes. "Snuffed chakra signatures in the sand about a hundred meters in front of us." He reported, taking another drink after in reward. Itachi nodded, taking back the waterskin and corking it. "Guards. Told you they were out here." Itachi glanced at him wryly. Naruto wiggled his dry tongue around; the water having helped lessen his slur. He snorted.

"Suck a fat one." He held up his middle finger to add some damage.

The two locked eyes in a glaring match.

"Let's go meet our new friends, then." Itachi gave up first and again went down the slope, and Naruto followed without complaining, grinning in the wake of his small victory. Itachi usually won those fights.

When they reached a respectable distance from where he had sensed the guards, Naruto pulled out a kunai with a Hiraishin tag wrapped around the handle. He reared his arm back and flung it into the sky. The kunai soared through the air in a high arch, for a moment being blocked out by the sun, and then buried itself in the ground, only about twenty meters away from them. "Eh, I was kinda off," Naruto noted in a little annoyance. He could feel the guards chakra molding, and lines of it were spread through the sand. Strings of chakra on Ninja Wire? _Hmmm, as I thought._

Naruto leaped through time-space, appearing at the kunai, shuriken between each of his fingers. As soon as he appeared, puppets burst up out of the sand, rattling and converging on him with gleaming weapons that protruded through their joints, hands, and mouths. Dust clouds floated around as sand plumed into the sky from their movement, and he had also moved immediately, flicking his wrist, sending the shuriken twirling at the puppets. He disappeared in a flash again, and needles hit where he had been half a second after.

Crouched next to Itachi, he watched in satisfaction as some of the puppets fell uselessly to the ground, their ninja wires cut from his shuriken. Some of the puppets had dodged, and they floated in the air as the shuriken meant for them buried into the sand behind them. The sand clouds created by the action started to be blown away by the wind. Slowly, a person rose from the sand, and the sand flowed down his bodysuit to pile at his ankles. He was covered from head to toe in a sand color suit meant to blend him into the terrain. His face was hidden behind a veil, and on the forehead of the hood was a Suna headband.

With his Sharingan, Naruto saw chakra reconnect the wire of the fallen puppets, and they too floated in the air again with the dozen others.

Naruto held up a hand, "Yo." He crinkled his eyes into an eye smile that would've made Kakashi proud. He waved his fingers, his other arm lounging lazily over his knee. "Leave, or i'll be forced to attack!" The Suna Ninja yelled. Sending a glance to Itachi, Naruto lowered his hand to scratch the back of his head. He met Itachi's eye with a prompting raised eyebrow. Itachi stepped forward and lowered his cowl.

"I've come looking for the Kazekage!" He yelled, and the Suna ninja widened his stance.

"And what business would you have with the Kazekage!?"

Naruto put a hand on his chin, pursing his lips to the side and making a thoughtful face. Yeah, he had heard right, he did recognize that voice. He perked, a light bulb turning on above his head. "Hey, Kankuro!" He shot from his crouch, waving his arm around excitedly. Kankuro jumped, surprised. "It's me, Naruto!" Kankuro made a baffled sound, his arms lowering and his shoulders rising in shock. "Naruto!?" He sounded like he didn't believe him, but then he yelled again."You _idiot_ , where have you been all this time!"

The marionettes floated to sit down on the ground; their arms limp in their laps and their legs flopping out in front of them. Kankuro slid down the dune, coming to them. "Gaara's been looking all over for you!" He said as he came up the crest to them, pulling off his hooded veil to reveal his purple painted face and brown hair. Naruto laughed, putting his hands behind his head and leaning on one leg. "I've been a bit busy lately." Kankuro snorted, "Yeah, last I heard you left Konoha and became a missing-nin." He shrugged, "Hell, I can't blame you for what your Kage is doing to the whole continent." Kankuro clenched an angry fist at his side, no doubt thinking about what Danzo had done to the Land of Wind.

He finally seemed to notice Itachi again. "Uh...Naruto." Naruto already knew what he wanted to ask by the deadpanned look on his face, so he put an arm around Itachi's shoulder. "You could say we're kinda bro's now," Naruto said, patting Itachi's shoulder. Itachi shrugged him away, taking a single step to regain some personal space. Naruto remained unfazed. "Does that bro-ship come with the freaky eyes?" Kankuro asked, and Naruto shrugged. "Nah, these were a shitty gift from a snake." Kankuro's expression turned sour at the mention of Orochimaru. "It seems to me that you _did_ get yourself into some pretty shitty business." He said bitterly with a scowl.

"Yeah—So, can we see Gaara?"

"I don't know, things are pretty tight around the base, especially with all the weariness toward outsiders..." He glanced at Itachi at the word outsider. Naruto hummed, reaching out a hand to pat Itachi on the shoulder, but his hand was deftly turned away from. He patted the air anyway. "Itachi here is cool. It turns out he's one of the good guys after all. I know, right!?" He added when Kankuro scrunched up his face in disbelief. Kankuro thought about it for a moment and then shrugged. "Alright, I guess its either have Gaara mad at me or the rest of the guys—and i'd much rather have the rebels mad at me then Gaara."

Kankuro turned around and put his fingers into his mouth. He whistled loudly, and several other shinobi popped out of the sand in the same garb he was in. "Saddle up, boys; we have a long walk ahead!" Naruto groaned.

* * *

 _— The Rocky Peaks: Rebel Base_ _—_

The Suna Rebels had decided to burrow themselves into the mountains. The base was a complex set of tunnels and rooms, going deep into the earth and high into the mountain, small cubies cut out from the walls to make room for people. Lanterns hung from support beams, and most of the peoples' rooms had just blankets hooked up for doors. They hadn't had a name for this particular mountain before, but now they called it Mt. Haven because it had saved all of them from total slaughter by the Konoha shinobi. That set a grim shade to his face. Konoha was a symbol of peace, but now it was only known for slaughter.

As he walked the winding tunnels, he noticed that it wasn't just people of Sunagakure here. Samurai from the Land of Rivers and the ninja of Tanigakure passed by as well, proudly displaying their headbands and the symbol of their dead Daimyo. Most surprising were the samurai from the Land of Hot Water; who would've had had to cross across the Land of Fire to reach here. He wondered at just how many fighters were under Gaara's command.

If there were a lot of shinobi and samurai, there were even more civilians. They outnumbered the warriors five to one, and they worked just as much as the shinobi and samurai, carrying bundles and boxes under their arms and on their backs. The people swelled in number when they reached a wide open dome. They walked squished together, heading in all directions to the tunnels that led out of the market. Walkways winding up the curve of the dome, and as many people traveled up them as the ground. The shops were grooved into the rock, and bridges spanned across from one side to the other. He heard the sounds of blacksmiths hammers, dickering, and just all around chatter.

There was little space for them to fill into the crowd, yet the people parted for them when Kankuro's team walked out in front of them to push people aside.

They looked at Naruto and Itachi with wide eyes and weary expressions, no doubt recognizing Itachi; which in turn made them not trust Naruto.

"They all wouldn't be alive if it wasn't for Gaara," Kankuro said, looking over his shoulder at them with a glance. "He made all of this, cutting out every tunnel and room...with a little help from some Doton Shinobi, of course." Naruto found himself grinning despite the looks he was getting. So Gaara really had changed. He felt himself giddy to see his friend once again after so much had happened. He was excited to see this change for himself.

His smiled set the murmur of the crowd louder, some of the women noting how handsome he was, some men commenting on how powerful he looked, and he heard all of them. He pulled up his mask to hide his blush and a sheepish grin.

The market ended, and they passed some more rooms, these belonging to some of Gaara's commanders and higher ups. Eventually, the rooms ended, and they came to a plain wooden door set into the rock. Kankuro turned around, putting his hands on his hips. "Try not to be as annoying as you usually are..." Naruto sniffed, glaring at Kankuro's mocking grin. "Noted, now fuck off and go stick your dick in your dolls." Kankuro laughed and walked away, patting him on the shoulder.

Naruto said fuck it to formality and just walked in. Natural sunlight blinded him for a moment, and he had to adjust, blinking several times. So they were higher up in the mountain than he thought. The room was actually quite nice, with a carpet in the middle of the flat rock ground and bookshelves lining the walls, full of leather bound books. Boxes of scrolls had been slid between the space of each shelf, open and strewn about. At the back of the room was an oak desk with parchment and books and scrolls scattered about. An inkwell sat at the corner, a brush sitting in a bottle of cleaning alcohol. Behind that was a large glass window that went from the base of the ground to the top of the ceiling, outlined in wood.

Standing there—with his back to them and his hands clasped together—was Gaara looking out the window. "Things have changed, Naruto..." He said, his voice calm. Itachi shut the door behind them as Naruto walked to stand on the carpet. "Yeah, the last three years haven't been the greatest." Gaara turned around, and Naruto found that his facial expressions hadn't changed much. He still had the bags under his eyes—which in truth looked worse now—and he had the same impassive face. Yet his teal eyes shone with a calm and pleasant glow; a huge contrast to the bloodthirsty and insane gleam in them before.

"It's good to see you, but why'd you come now of times? Why not sooner? I could've used your help." Gaara walked around the desk to stand in front of Naruto, his hands still clasped behind his back. Naruto grimaced, "Well, I had to deal with Orochimaru, and Sasuke..." He tried to keep the pain off his face, straightening his mouth into a grim line. Gaara's eyes flicked to Itachi for a moment, "You seem to have the wrong Uchiha with you..." He left his question unsaid, but Naruto knew that Gaara wanted to know what happened.

He sighed, his shoulders sagging and his grief turning his mouth into a frown. "I guess I should tell you what happened."

He told them all of it. About Orochimaru marking him during his search for Tsunade. About Danzo becoming Hokage and charging him with a mission to kill Orochimaru and bring Sasuke home. Sasuke's death. His fight with Kimimaro and Orochimaru forcing the Sharingan on him. His meeting of Itachi and the truth of the Uchiha clan. The only thing he left out was his kiss with Sakura and his talk with the Kyuubi about the attack sixteen years ago.

Gaara listened without expression, as was his way. "I'm sure you know about the war?" He said after Naruto was finished, not asking after a single detail. "I don't know the specifics, but I don't think that matters. Danzo started it, and I want to kill him. That's all I need to know." He said nonchalantly. "Then that's why you're here?" Itachi stepped forward then, "We wish to ask for your help in taking out Danzo and his Root Agents." Gaara regarded him with scarce importance. "If that was possible, then I'd have done it already." He said, monotone.

Naruto took a step to stand next to Itachi, "We plan to ask for the other countries help, as well. I'm sure most will see the importance of getting rid of Danzo." Gaara stared at him for a moment, searching. "And are _you_ prepared to kill Konoha shinobi, Naruto?" Naruto tensed, his body stiffening in discomfort. "No," he admitted through gritted teeth. "Because I _won't_ kill any innocent shinobi. I refuse to let them be fodder for some mad man!" He finished fiercely, letting passion light his onyx eyes. Gaara lifted an eyebrow—which he didn't have—and his eyes glowed with something like mirth. "This is war, you can't hope to think that you can do that?" Naruto smiled, "I don't hope for anything. I _know_ I won't kill anyone loyal to Konoha. I have to become Hokage, after all." A smile characteristic of his old self grew on his face.

"If it comes to it, I will have to kill anyone who threatens my people, Naruto—no matter if they are with Danzo or not." Naruto nodded, grim, but understanding. "I hope to have the lines drawn by then..."

A small smile turned the corners of Gaara's cheeks. "Then I guess I don't have a choice, do I?" Gaara held out a hand. "As stubborn and foolish as always," he said and smiled as Naruto took his hand, "but that's what I like about you."

Naruto grinned back and finally felt like things were looking up again.

* * *

Naruto closed Gaara's office door with a click of the handle. Itachi stood with his arms crossed, a solemn look on his thoughtful face. "How do you plan to draw theses 'lines,' Naruto?" He asked, setting him with an austere stare. "I can name a few people who will help us find out who's loyal to Konoha." He knew his old sensei and perverted master would be a part of that group, and last he checked, Tsunade had stayed in Konoha, so he must have lit some patriotism in her. _Sakura-chan would help, too..._

The thought of his old teammate brought a sharp pain to his chest, and the weight of his guilt almost drove him to his knees.

He looked away for a moment to get back his control, telling himself that now wasn't the time.

Itachi noticed his pain, and it seemed he didn't want to bring it up out of courtesy, but Naruto could see the solemn concern in his eyes. "Just thought of some old...ghost's..." Naruto murmured, letting go of the fabric of his shirt and putting his hand back at his side, fist clenched. "I betrayed a lot of people's trust when I left Konoha..." His eyes colored themselves in disappointment. "I'm just...ashamed of what I did."

"I really am an idiot..."

Itachi put a hand on his shoulder, and the caring serenity on his face surprised him. "We've all made mistakes, Naruto." Itachi smiled, and that was even more of a shock. "But unlike me, you can fix some of yours." Naruto felt gratitude flood him, and he smiled, nodding his head. "Thanks, Itachi." He nodded and took his hand off his shoulder.

"Anyway, since we both have information that might get us more allies, I think I can leave Konoha to you while I work out a way to get Kumogakure on our side." Naruto's eyebrow lifted, "You didn't kill anyone for this information, did you?" Itachi smirked. Naruto gave him a withering glare.

"Well, will you look at that! You are here!" A feminine voice exclaimed. He turned his body sluggishly, having recognized the voice. "Hi, Temari..." He took in a breath, steeling himself. He had always had a bit of...fear for the sandy blonde. "What brings you to this sandy part of the world?" She asked, putting hands on her hips as she grinned at him. Naruto rubbed the back of his head. "Grim business, i'm afraid." Temari snorted, "What isn't these days?" She walked closer, almost a head shorter than him, but he eyed her giant metal fan wearily. The thing looked to be a pretty useful tool for a quick punishment of snarky and cheeky remarks.

"I knew you would be handsome one day." She remarked, peering up at his face. He found that hard to believe. She had, after all, been attracted to Sasuke more than him. He found himself blushing under the attention anyway. "I just don't remember the black eyes," she said, giving him a prompting look to explain. She had always been the type of girl who got what she wanted. He was coming to understand why Shikamaru called women troublesome.

"Another time, eh? I just hiked across a desert, and my clothes are more like a second skin than clothes." He pulled on a pant leg to prove his point. She grinned up at him, "Fine then. I'll lead you to some rooms." She finally acknowledged Itachi. "Will you both be sharing a room?" She was teasing him, but Naruto glared anyway. "Separate, please," he grumbled. She patted him on the cheek."Good; i'm sure Sakura-san wouldn't want the bad news of you swinging the other way." She spun on her heels and walked down the hall, leaving him gaping in shock.

Itachi walked after, passing him an amused glance. Naruto scoffed, "What's that supposed to mean." Temari just laughed at him, the laugh echoing down and up the hall.

Naruto took off at a jog, grumbling, and whining.

* * *

 ** _—_** ** _Sakura —_**

 _— Konoha: A Day Later —_

"I'm sure you all are aware of how important this mission is?" The Anbu said as he approached, his tone monotone and his eyes peering at them from the slits in his porcelain mask. He was tall, with short, sleek black hair, and pale skin. He was in the Root Anbu uniform, which was a modified version of the regular Anbu uniform, but black. Instead of the standard Ninjato hooked to the back, he carried a Tanto.

Sakura heard Kiba grumble a growling, "Yes." And Hinata squeezed out a bow of apology next to her.

She stood at the village gate with Team 8. Behind them, the gate was open, and a steady flow of farmers and merchants came in, each searched and checked for identification by a shinobi. They had been assigned for a mission together, and she was to be the medic. Shino stood aloofly away from the rest of them, and Kiba lounged on the ground because he had been playing with Akamaru. Hinata stood next to her underneath the shade of one of the gates. They had been catching up on life.

She didn't get enough time to spend with her friends, and Hinata wasn't the talkative type, so Sakura hadn't caught up with her during their Jonin celebration. Hinata had been the only other person without their parents with them that night. So, Sakura had taken notice and asked her about it. Her father had been busy with clan duties, apparently.

 _I wonder if she still likes Naruto._ Sakura thought it odd to hold onto such feelings after all these years, especially since they were just children at the time. What did kids know about love? Sure, they could like someone and have a crush on them, but love...was much more complicated.

She had long ago gave up on her feelings for Sasuke, especially after that night.

The Root Anbu cleared his throat. "Well, then, i'm sure you all understand your places?" How could someone sound so boring when they talked? They all nodded.

They were headed to the Land of Wind, specifically to the mountains to the west of Sunagakure, where it was said that Suna rebel activity was reported. Team 8 was being used for tracking since they were the best tracking team Konoha had. Even though the were all Jonin now, they still worked as a three man cell because that was how well they worked together. Team 10 was the same.

They would all probably live out the rest of their ninja careers like that.

She felt a small pang of jealousy. Her team hadn't lasted through a year as genin...

They really had been dysfunctional.

"We have to meet up with Platoons 7 and 9 in four days, so we will only take periodic breaks." He nodded his head, not caring if they had anything to say. He started toward the gate, and Kiba hopped to his feet, his eyes in a glare as he walked after, Akamaru bounding at his hip. Shino picked up the backpack at his feet and shouldered one of the straps, keeping one of his hands deep in his coat pocket as he silently followed. Hinata shot her a glance and an easy smile, running to catch up.

She stood for a moment, stuck with an odd feeling that was a mix of nostalgia and sadness.

They had all grown up in some way, and Sakura felt like she should've too, but she still held onto a childish hope that one day things would return to normal.

She walked after, lost in the thought of what could've been.

* * *

 _ **Please leave thoughts and questions in a quick review.**_

 _ **I run on reviews, so don't hold back!**_

 _ **See Ya!**_


	10. A New Uchiha

**_Welcome back for another chapter._**

 ** _I'll just dive into the responses._**

 ** _Amouren: I actually really hate sand. I have a legitimate and utter loathing for it. Like, it gets everywhere and even after you take a shower you'll find it in your ear or ass crack weeks later and be like: "How did that even get there!" Lmao, that Star Wars reference tho. *Shakes head in disappointed amusement*_**

 ** _Drakon45: A story takes time and patience to develop. I just can't have Sakura and Naruto meet up for no reason. I also can't realistically have Naruto know instinctively that she's under Danzo's control without having him strip her and see the seal...which he will do later, but not for that reason, hehe! The mind control is a major and important part of Sakura's story right now, and it will have consequences in the future. So, yeah, i'm going to talk about it and have it mentioned and puzzled over whenever Sakura comes up or when the story is in her perspective. Patience, man, patience. It'll all come together in the end, I promise._**

 ** _Celestia's Paladin: I'm happy you decided to give the story a try! I tried not to dwell in Naruto's grief and angst for long because I know it's annoying to have a character be broody all the time. He's still full of sadness and grief, but that doesn't mean it defines his motivation and character. He has to push forward and save everyone, no matter how much he doesn't want to. I find canon Naruto's loyalty and dream to be his best qualities, so I kept them. I've never actually found the Toads to be all that...cool. And the problem now is the fact that Naruto has nullified his contract, but that might be fixable. I am the writer, and I don't think they ever mentioned someone ever doing what I had this Naruto do in canon, so I don't think there's anything stopping me from doing either; un-signing it and re-signing it. Anyway, thanks for the review and giving the story a shot._**

 ** _Zyngar: I've never been considered the 'funny guy' so I was a little nervous writing in banter and jokes. I guess I can breathe easy after knowing that at least two people found some of it funny(Amouren did, too). Btw, I love making people laugh, so your review put a smile on my face. Thanks for the grin and the support!_**

 ** _Now, enjoy! This chapter creates a lot of hype!_**

* * *

 ** _Ghosts of the Past_**

 ** _Chapter 10: A New Uchiha_**

* * *

 _In a subtle and devious way, Danzo held everyone I loved captive. Not in chains or behind bars, but with the ever looming threat of being killed just because I opposed him. He no doubt knew that they all held my will to fight, and he had no problem using them to attack me._

* * *

 ** _— Naruto —_**

 _— Rebel Base —_

Naruto turned and angled his body in the mirror mounted to the stone wall. He was busy running his fingers over thin white scars that stood out against his tan complexion. The motions of his searching pulled his muscles, making them bulge from his lean build as he twisted his torso. He traced a scar that he had gotten fighting Haku on the bridge, and he traced another from the Chunin Exams. It all felt so long ago. Moving the pads of his fingers against his chest, he eventually touched the place where the cursed seal had been; right in the juncture of shoulder and neck. The nasty black ink was gone, and its effects on his body had shown themselves over his recovery. He felt healthier, more in control of his chakra, and the looming feeling of a monster waiting to pounce on him in a moment of weakness was gone.

He was glad he had refused to advance the seal to the second stage, having seen what it did to Sasuke. He couldn't even begin to guess what kind of effects it would've had on him.

A knock on the door startled him. He paused his search and went to his door, not caring to pull on a shirt. It was Itachi. "Sleep well, Naruto?" He asked, and Naruto stepped aside to let him slip in, nodding his head as he moved. "Yeah, the beds are actually kinda comfy." He shut the door as Itachi went to the center of the room. It was simply furnished, with a single bed in the corner, a night stand with a lantern on it, a small wooden chest at the foot of the bed for storage, and the mirror on the wall.

"What do you need?" Naruto asked as he moved to his bed, picking up the shirt that had been loaned to him. "I came to talk about something important..." Itachi paused a moment as he put on his shirt, making sure to meet his eye after to show that this was important. Naruto sighed and sat on the bed, the wooden frame creaking with his weight. "No need to be so dramatic about it, Itachi..." He murmured, leaning forward to prop his forearms on his knees. "Danzo knows what's important to you, Naruto, so you have to be careful with your identity." Itachi's voice was austere, and Naruto felt the weight of his words. "He doesn't know where you are—he just knows you're out there, and he knows exactly how to hit you where it hurts." All of his past precious people came to mind, and a sense of urgency to protect them vined through his chest.

Itachi was right. Danzo could easily take and kill everyone who had ever had any place in his heart just to attack him. No physical wound would hurt worse.

"Are you saying I shouldn't fight?" He queried, obviously thinking it a ridiculous thought even for Itachi. "No, I just want you to hide your identity." Itachi crossed his arms, his face serene as ever. "But since you have the Sharingan, it will be hard not to draw attention to yourself. It isn't a problem with me because i'm already known, but the fact that there's another shinobi besides Sasuke and me with the Sharingan is bound to draw some questions. Most people don't know that Sasuke's dead, and only Orochimaru and the Akatsuki know that you have the eyes now, so we have to be careful not to show your face."

Naruto sighed, running a hand through his unkempt hair. "You're right. So, what do I do?"

"First, you dye your hair black. Second, you never take off your half-mask around anyone that doesn't know it's you. The fewer people who know, the better. Thirdly, you go by the name Naro Uchiha; a bastard born Uchiha who's never met his father and was conceived outside of the village. Got it?"

"Also, don't go throwing Hiraishin kunai around carelessly. That's asking for attention like kindle in a fire."

Naruto sniffed, his face souring. "I guess I don't have a choice." He said, his tone close to a whine. "It's the only option. Besides, if Danzo knows there's another Uchiha besides me he won't have time to focus on anyone else." Naruto's eyebrows lifted in confusion. "Why would he worry about another Uchiha?"

"Because Danzo knows that the only thing that can nullify his control on people is another Sharingan user. He controls people, Naruto. He took Shisui's eye and used it to get the seat of the Hokage, probably. That's the only conclusion that I can come up with. The Fire Daimyo agreed with Sandaime-sama on Danzo being too much of a fanatic for the position. He also agreed that Tsunade or Jiraiya would be the best choice."

"How do you know that?"

"I was Anbu, and the subject of Sandaime-sama's successor came up many times in his meetings with the Daimyo. Danzo is a master manipulator, controlling people with seals and Genjutsu, changing and altering their minds and views to fit his own. Just look at how many Root members he has. It wouldn't surprise me if he was slowly changing the people of Konoha to loyal drones right now. He has Kotomatsukami from Shisui's eye, so there's no telling who he used it on, or how many times he's used it. He might have used it on the Daimyo. "

Naruto took it all in, his hatred of the Hokage becoming even blacker. The seed buried in his heart was a permanent wound, gaping and raw and full of hateful emotion. He stood from his bed. "Let's hope the name Naro gets attached to my legend, eh?" He joked, grinning.

* * *

 ** _— Sakura —_**

 _— Western Border of the Land of Fire —_

It turned out that Platoons 7 and 9 were made entirely of Root Anbu, numbering around seventy men. There was also twenty samurai from the Land of Rivers, sent by their new feudal lord. They were camped out in some trees, the heat of the desert over them despite it being several miles away still. They lounged underneath trees and close to their tents. Some gathered in groups to talk in low murmurs, ignoring them.

Their squad captain, whose name she didn't know or care to know, had gone off to report to the lieutenant. Shino and Kiba had wondered off somewhere, Kiba saying "We want to check out who will have our backs." and waving.

She felt a strong grip of anxiety twist her stomach into knots. She had never been to a battlefield where more than just a few ninja were fighting. Her battles had been confined to small numbers and the advantage of not having to look out around you at all times. She had mostly trained with Tsunade in the past three years, so her last real battle had been a while ago.

"Nervous, Sakura-san?" Hinata's quiet voice asked. Sakura looked up at the Hyuuga heiress, who stared down at her with concern in her porcelain white eyes. "A little," she admitted as Hinata sat down on the log with her. Sakura watched her carefully. She laid her hands primly in her lap, her lavender eyes looking around the encampment. Her shiny, pretty, black hair fell down her back and pooled on the log. She wrung her hands anxiously, obviously avoiding the jade of Sakura's eyes.

"I am, too." Hinata finally said, turning her head to meet Sakura's eyes, the white color doing nothing to hide her nerves. Sakura smiled, hoping it was encouraging and warm; the exact opposite of what she felt. "We'll be fine. I know it." A silence took the place of the conversation, their eyes watching a passing group of samurai. "Do you ever miss them, Sakura-san?" Hinata asked quietly, blushing and looking at her fidgeting hands. Sakura frowned, understanding her question. _Sweet, innocent Hinata doesn't want to cut open any old wounds by saying names._

"Everyday..." Hinata's mouth thinned into a line, and Sakura could see the understanding shine in Hinata's eyes when she leaned to peer at the corner of her white pupils. Sighing, Sakura took out Naruto's headband, the scarred metal plate reflecting sunlight off a corner as she unwrapped it from a blue cloth. Hinata turned her head and stared at it. She ran a thumb over the jagged and rough cut across the leaf symbol. "I wonder where he—they—are, sometimes..." She gave a glance at Hinata, hoping she didn't note her mess up. Hinata only swallowed a lump in her throat and stuttered. "I-is that N-naruto-k-kun's?"

Sakura handed it to the Hyuuga heiress, watching her as she ran the pads of her fingers against the metal, holding it like it was some precious artifact and not a cheap headband. Hinata's eyes looked at it but did not see it. Instead, she was far off somewhere else, re-living memories. Sakura could tell; she had made that face many times over the past three years. She leaned closer, looking at Hinata's face. "Do you want it?" She asked quietly, smoothing the lines of her face. Hinata looked at her in shock, unshed tears in the corners of her eyes. "I...I..." She fumbled for the words, looking back and forth between her and the headband. "Keep it. You were the one who loved him, anyway." Sakura said, forcing a smile. A sharp, tearing pain suffocated her chest, making breathing harder and her eyes bleary. She looked away. She controlled her breathing, forcing back the need to cry.

"I can't take this, Sakura-san!" Hinata said quickly, her hand coming to lay on Sakura's arm as tears fell from her lavender eyes. Sakura shook her head, her side bangs lightly slapping her cheeks. "Take it. I don't need it." The hurt wrapped around her throat, making the words hard to say. The pain tightened her chest like a hand over her heart squeezed out every last drop of blood. Hinata leaned back, her expression a mixture of pity and understanding. She glanced at the headband again, her white eyes guilty.

Hinata suddenly took her wrist and turned her hand over, placing the headband in her palm. "It's not mine to keep...You're his teammate, so you should be the one to give it back to him." Sakura met Hinata's eyes in shock, her eyes wide and glittering emerald with unshed tears. She searched Hinata's eyes but found nothing but encouragement. Hinata was smiling warmly, tears falling. Sakura smiled, nodded, and closed her hand, her fingers gripping into the metal strip. "Thank you, Hinata." She said gratefully, folding it back up in the blue cloth.

The two cleaned up their tears, hugged, and then found their teammates.

"Hinata! Sakura!" Kiba waved them over from atop Akamaru, the ninken barking enthusiastically at them. Shino nodded when they got closer, and their Anbu Captain turned around, his arms crossed. "Good, you're here, that means I don't have to track you down." He jaded, turning around to gesture at the gaunt and unkempt man behind him. Sakura eyed the man warily, watching as his eyes darted around in nervousness. "This is our informant, Moshni." Her captain informed. The ratty man paused, gave her and Hinata a nodded with his narrow head bobbing on his thin, stick-like neck and then returned to look around with wide, brown eyes.

"Tell them what you told me." Her captain ordered, his tone holding no patience—or any emotion—at all. "Yesh, yesh." He tittered, eyes looking back at them, staring through them at something unseeable to the sane. "Shaw a tall pretty man ashkin' after a bashe in the wesht. My mate Hepy told him all about it. Yesh, yesh. Hepy dishappeared later and I had the shmart to shnatch a piece of hish cloth from hish houshe cuz' I knew you'd needsh it." He provided the piece of clothing to Sakura, then rambled on after in insensible words, wringing his hands and pacing, eyes darting. Sakura passed an uneasy glance with Hinata. "Thank you, Moshni." Moshni froze in his pacing, looking at the Anbu like he just noticed him. "Ish I free?" He asked, eyes wide and bright with insanity. The Anbu nodded, and Moshni cackled, shuffling away.

Kiba shivered, "Creepy..." He muttered, and Sakura had the inclination to agree. The captain turned back to them. "Moshni found one of our agent's immediately after, knowing that we would be looking for the base and what we would need to find it. Despite how he looks, he's insanely smart. I would withhold judgement on everyone, jonin. That could get you killed." The captain glared. "Any questions?" He said after, sounding like he didn't really want them to ask questions. "Will we be fighting the rebels? It seem's highly unlikely by my count of our numbers." Shino adjusted his sunglasses, looking more interested in a bug native to the desert than the group. "We're only scouting. The Anbu and samurai are just in case we run into any patrols or other problems."

"That all?" He asked, and everyone nodded.

"Good, we move out now."

* * *

 ** _— Kakashi —_**

 _— North-eastern Border of the Land of Fire —_

The squad of Root Anbu sat crouched in the trees, hidden expertly behind branches and foliage. Another squad of regular Anbu were with them, and several jonin had been assigned to assist as well. Regular Anbu were becoming a rarity these days, with Danzo favoring to use his personal Anbu over the Konoha program trained ones. What confused him was how, somehow, Danzo had kept almost a thousand five hundred highly trained shinobi hidden away. That just went to show how meticulous and conniving Danzo had been.

They had been assigned to converge on a small platoon of Kumogakure shinobi, and they had been waiting here for several days already.

Kakashi sat crouched lazily with one arm draped over his knee and his Icha Icha in front of his masked face. Glancing up, Kakashi pulled up his headband, doing his ritual scan of the area with his Sharingan. He was too far behind the front to actually see anything, but he did it to keep his boredom in check and senses alert. "Do you see anything, senpai?" A newly promoted jonin on a branch behind him asked in a whisper. Kakashi quelled his annoyance, turning around to stare at the jonin blankly. "You'd be the first to know, Yamni-kun..." That was the third time he had told him, but the fresh jonin would still nod and frown in anxiety, his head shooting around to let his eyes peer into the woods.

Suddenly, a sharp bird call whistled through the trees up ahead. Kakashi could hear the leaves around Yamni shake from his body tensing. Kakashi slipped a kunai from the pouch on his thigh, simultaneously slipping away his book into his ninja pouch. "The sentry spotted someone, I guess..." Moving into action, he and every other shinobi dropped from the trees, quickly sprinting across the ground toward the treeline, blurs in the shadows of the leaves.

He could hear the fighting getting closer. The sound of metal clanking against metal, the sound of screaming, Jutsu, and explosions dominate in his ear. The ground shook, and at the same time, he pushed out of the treeline, completely aware of his fellow shinobi behind him as his eyes took in the battlefield. It was a small field, where they had decided to have the battle, with a small gully that ran along one side of the treeline and a small, fire-lit copse at the center. Shinobi battled on its low hills, and they fought in blurs as Jutsu and kunai were thrown around with precision and killing intent.

A lightning bolt shot above his head, frying the shinobi behind him, charring the man to a crisp as he screamed shrilly. He swiftly threw his kunai at the Kumo shinobi who shot the lighting and procured another at the back of a shinobi with his back turned. He heard the two satisfying grunts of pain as he leaped over a body and got face to face with a shinobi who had just killed an Anbu. He quickly swiped another kunai into his palm, sweeping it in an arc.

Their kunai smashed together, and Kakashi swiped away a punched, taking several steps back, holding his kunai low and in front of his body. The Kumo shinobi advanced with a yell, his kunai aimed for Kakashi's throat. He parried, the blade sliding away, and a riposte fell him with a cut to the throat. The shinobi fell clutching at his spewing neck, gargling to his knees. The corpse slumped, face smashing into the ground. The hairs on the back of his neck stood as a roar of fire yelled in his ears and heat warmed his back. He rolled out of the way of the Katon attack on his shoulder, the flames crashing into the earth and lighting the grass on fire, spreading and blackening the small hill they were on. At the same time as the fire pounded to the ground, Kakashi came from his roll, his hands weaving through signs.

 _ **"Suiton: Mizubōsō(Water Style: Rampaging Water)!"**_

He spun around on a knee, a stream of water spouting from his mouth, sending a twirling shot across the side of the hill and at his enemy. Water droplets flew off the water stream and hit the fire, creating hissing steam. The Kumo shinobi jumped over the water, flipping and landing on his feet in the burnt grass. Kakashi snipped off the flow of water and quickly charged, holding out a flat hand. Lightning started at the tips of his fingers as Raikiri formed over the skin of his hand. He dipped low underneath a hasty punch, shoving the lighting cutter into the shinobi's chest and out his back. He could see the reflection of his Sharingan in the man eyes before the light faded. Kakashi pulled his hand from the shinobi's chest with a sloppy, wet sound, letting the body fall to the ground.

"Senpai!" Yamni jumped next to him, panting, bloody and sweaty. "They're retreating!" He pointed a finger in the direction of the far treeline, where Kumo shinobi disappeared into the brush. "Let's go!" The two ran toward the tree's, dodging projectiles and returning their own. Some shinobi paused at the edge of the trees, turning to meet him and Yamni. Two took him on, and he moved through their punches and kicks with ease, slapping away knee kicks and kunai stabs as he got between them. He slipped low, crouching, slipping a kunai into the ribs of one then jabbing an elbow into the hip of the other, movements a blur. They both fell, and Kakashi pounced on the one he had jabbed, slitting his throat with the tip of a shuriken and then spinning the star at the other, piercing his head.

"Gahhhh!" He whirled around, watching with wide eyes as Yamni fell, blood splashing into the air from the long diagonal slash on his chest. Kakashi pushed off his knees and rolled to the Kumo shinobi, another Raikiri chirping to life. The shinobi's eyes widened as he turned his body, his mouth opening in a scream. He pierced through the arm—cutting it clean off—and then through the armpit, going until his hand was buried deep in the man's lung and through his spine.

The corpse fell and Kakashi walked to Yamni, completely dull to the Konoha shinobi sprinting past him and into the trees. He stood over the young jonin, looking at the dim and hollow color of his eyes. Wide and shocked, Yamni's eyes looked at the sky, unseeing in death. Kakashi crouched to his haunches and closed the boy's eyes with his fore and middle fingers. Kakashi took in his face, memorizing it...

 _Another war, another innocent life._ He thought sadly, standing and running to catch up to the pursuit.

 _You've thrown the world into chaos, Danzo._

* * *

 _ **— Naruto —**_

He played with a tuft of hair in front of his eyes, the black color of it foreign to him. He already missed his bright, golden locks. His hair color screamed his name louder than his whiskers, and now he was forced to dye it _and_ cover his marks. He grumbled about it the whole way down the hall, glaring at Itachi's back. "Quit pouting," Itachi said, not even turning to look. Naruto huffed an "I'm not" and pulled his lip in, stomping childishly down the hall.

The two eventually came to a door, and Itachi opened it without pausing his stride. Naruto followed after, straightening his back and making sure his face was serious. Now wasn't the time to look childish. Gathered around the large table at the center of the room was Gaara with his sister and brother standing behind him, two old geezers that he didn't know, a Suna-nin that he vaguely remembered was Gaara's sensei, and two representatives from the Land of Hot Water and Rivers. Lined around the room were several other's, all most likely high ranking shinobi and samurai.

Gaara stood, nodding to the two of them, only giving a passing glance to Naruto's new hair color. The samurai from the Land of Hot Water and the shinobi from the Land of Rivers stood, too.

"Henzo-dono, Gesho-dono, these are our new allies, Itachi Uchiha and Naruto Uzumaki." The two bowed to them, and the samurai—who Naruto guessed was Henzo— said, "Uzumaki-san looks more like an Uchiha than any red blooded Uzumaki i've seen..." He was a gruff old man with a long face characterized by wrinkles and narrow brown eyes. He had a long, wispy grey beard that hung to the middle of his chest, and his hair was pulled up into a bun on top his head. He wore a blue yukata with a grey obi, and his katana and wakizashi were leaned up against his chair. The other man, Gesho, was younger with cropped brown hair and black eyes. He had a strong jaw and a long thin scar that traveled up his temple and into his hair, which caused the hairs there not to grow. He wore a sand-colored flak jacket with wide shoulder guards and underneath a black shirt and pants.

"That's was our plan, Henzo-sama," Itachi said with a bow to each of the men, Naruto only bowing his head. "Any man in the right mind would fear an Uzumaki more than an Uchiha." A gruff, aged voice said. Naruto turned to the small, liver-spotted woman sitting hunched in her chair, her white hair in a bun and hair band as she peered at him with black irises. Next to her grunted a man as old and wrinkled as her with very pronounced eyebrows and a turban wrap on his head. "The Uzumaki would've been a great ally in our time of need. I have no doubt they would vehemently oppose the rule of the Hokage." He said, his thin lips a composed line. The old woman huffed, "And what about you, boy? Are you truly on our side and not some pawn of Danzo's?"

Naruto's fists clenched at his side, and he took a step closer to the table, his eyes never leaving the old woman's. "As a Uzumaki and man truly loyal to Konohagakure, I will do all in my power to usurp Danzo and help rebuild Sunagakure, and if you doubt me for a second, then don't hesitate to end me." He said, his eyes full of conviction. He looked at Gaara too, that pledge for him just as much as it was for the elders. The old woman stared, searching with a critical eye that stood the hair on the back of his neck on end. Gaara nodded in gratitude, and something seemed to satisfy the old woman by the way she looked away, her face still in a sullen frown, but her eyes glowing with mirth.

"Chiyo-sama, Ebizo-sama, I have confidence in his ability to aid us. So please, leave any grievances behind. We all are looking out for the good of everyone." Naruto was proud of the diplomacy in Gaara's voice. He really sounded like a Kage. The Suna elders accepted his plead with curt nods. Henzo and Gesho took back their seats. Naruto and Itachi sat down in the remaining ones. Gaara remained standing, looking at all of them.

"I think we all understand what common enemy we have," he said, leaning forward to place his hands flat on the table. They all nodded, and he gestured to Itachi and Naruto on his right.

"Itachi-san and Naruto have informed me that they will be able to get more allies on our side. I'll let them explain." He sat, and at the same moment, Itachi stood. Naruto remained seated, looking at everyone's faces. He could see the weariness they regarded Itachi with, no doubt thinking of the slaughter that he had done in his past. Naruto had no clue how Gaara convinced them even to be in the same room as the Uchiha killer, but he would be forever in his red-headed friend's debt for giving Itachi a chance.

"There are several powerful figures in Konoha who oppose Danzo's power. Naruto is sure he can convince them to coup d'etat and take back Konoha, but they can't do it by themselves, especially with Danzo having the Fire Daimyo's support, and most of the armies from the Land of Hot Water and Rivers—which have come under the control of appointed men. I also have no doubt he's bought out mercenaries and rogue nin to fight for him. That's why we need to gain the aid of Kumo and any other major power in the continent. Kumo is our most sure fire way right now since they have an actual reason to want to get rid of Danzo, and i'm sure that the rest of the Elemental Nations will see the urgency to fight back against the Hokage."

The small council took the simple plan in, Henzo and Gesho nodding in agreement, obviously seeing the plan as sound by the way their faces brightened with anticipation and hope. "The Samurai who were loyal to Uhi-sama will no doubt come to our side after we show that we fight to get rid of that vile Daimyo Danzo put in his place." Henzo pointed out proudly, talking about the Land of Hot Water's new feudal lord. Gesho said the same for his land, too. Itachi nodded, "True. I also have a sneaking suspicion that will help us cut the Fire Daimyo's aid, but I have to see if it really is true first to give any assurances."

A silence filled with contemplation filled after, and it stayed until Chiyo lifted her eyes to meet Itachi's. "And tell me, what makes you so sure that you understand the nature of the Raikage and any other world leader?" There was a fierceness to her tone, and her eyes glared at him, demanding. "I don't, but I do understand the Raikage enough to know he is hot-blooded and stubborn, but not without some clarity. He will listen to reason, and I will jump the hurdle when it comes to the other leaders when I get there." He met her glare with calm words and a look of apathy, never breaking eye contact.

She snorted. "There's too many open threads that rely on men that we don't know. I can't support this plan without any assurance that it will work. Besides, I refuse to have Suna be indebted to other nations and risk everything we have on the plan of a clan killer." She glared, her mouth a shrewd sneer. Naruto could see the dishearten looks on everyone's faces, and it seemed even Gaara couldn't disagree with her logic.

Naruto shot from his seat, the legs screeching against the ground as he met Chiyo's eyes with a fierce fire in his black orbs. "Would you believe in me?" He asked, his tone low and passionate. Chiyo said nothing, only glaring criticism with a measuring tilt of her head. Naruto smashed his fists on the table, growling. "Well?" Chiyo leaned forward, unfolding her arms and placing her hands flat on the table. Her chair screeched as she stood, and she didn't gain much height standing, especially compared to the tall height of Naruto. "No, I wouldn't." She said evenly, her black eyes slits in the creases of her wrinkles. Naruto growled again, unclenching and clenching his fists against the wood of the table. "What do I have to do to get you to agree?" He asked, grinding his teeth together. Why did she have to be so stubborn!

Instead of remaining serious, she laughed, leaning back to put her hands on her stomach. Naruto's face falted in its intensity, and he scowled in annoyance at being caught off guard. Chiyo's laughed fell into chuckles, and she said. "You can't do anything. I refuse to get help from a Konoha ninja." Her amused smile turned into a stern line. "I'm done here. We have nothing left to talk about." She turned away and Ebizo stood, following her as she walked away from the table and around to the door. "You don't have any decision in this, Chiyo-sama." Gaara said as she walked around his seat at the head of the table, his tone still composed and diplomatic. Naruto seethed, stepping away from his chair to glare at the old woman's back as she walked to the door. She waved a dismissive hand, not even turning around or stopping her shuffling feet. "The people will listen to my reason's, and they will agree." She assured, and just then the door shot open when she was a few steps away, and standing in the doorway was a Suna shinobi dressed in the sand colored uniform of a guard.

He was panting, and his hood and wrap were removed from his face, revealing a sun burnt and dirty face covered in sweat. "Gaara-sama...Konoha Anbu...in the desert...headed here." He bent over to his knees and gasped for breath, and the whole room shifted into an uproar when it was clear he was finished. "It was him! He led them to us!" One Tani shinobi exclaimed, pointing at Naruto. "Kill him!" Everyone started shouting, and some even drew weapons. "He said we could end him if we doubted him!" A Suna shinobi shouted.

"SILENCE!" Gaara roared, and the whole room froze in quiet. Gaara glared at them all, and Naruto stood rigid in his place, narrowing his eyes at all the glowering face. "Naruto..." Gaara said, and Naruto turned to him, his face calm. "I didn't, Gaara. You know I wouldn't." He pleaded, meeting black with teal. Gaara searched his eyes for a few moments, then he sighed, waving in the shinobi in the doorway.

"How many?" He asked.

"I'd say more than a hundred, Kazekage-sama."

"Were they regular Anbu or Root?" Naruto asked, walking to them.

"Root, uh, sir. A few dozen samurai that look to be from Daimyo Gema, too."

Henzo stood from his chair growling, taking up his katana and wakizashi and putting them in the fold of his obi. "I will rally men to fight and kill those traitors!" Gesho stood too. Gaara held up a hand, "What we need to do now is secure an escape route. If there's a hundred then there's more." He turned back to the messenger. "Are you sure they were headed here?"

"Sure as the sun rising in the morning, my lord."

Gaara nodded, "Then I need everyone to issue commands of evacuation. Got it?" Naruto placed a hand on his shoulder, smirking. "Hold on, I have a plan..." Gaara eyed him, unsure. "What do you plan to do?" Chiyo asked from her position at the door, her eyes narrow. Naruto grinned.

"Anyone have a sword I could borrow?"

* * *

 _ **Thoughts and questions would be appreciated in a quick review. Don't be shy, now. I love reading and responding to reviews. So sate my review addiction, pwease? Just one more fix, man, that's all I need! It'll be the last time, I promise!**_

 _ **Yeah right, you're a liar! Now get outta 'ere you druggy!**_

 _ ***Coughs awkwardly to clear throat***_

 ** _Uh, I also start college this week, so chapters might or might not be slower. Updates are slow now, so I have no clue how they will be once I start school. College on top of my job means free times gonna be tight, so...eh? I won't know how it'll go till it goes, I guess. *Shrugs cluelessly*_**

 ** _I think that's gonna be my new life motto. "I won't know how it'll go till it goes." Lmao_**

 ** _Anyway, have a good morning/day/night._**

 ** _Peace!_**


	11. Roots in the Dunes

**Hehe...Look at that, I didn't have any time to update for a while...**

 **I had like half of this chapter done for a bit, but then I changed a lot of stuff so that took a while to change, and I was trying to get all the details down how I wanted. I still don't have it perfect. I need to come back later and edit this more, but I don't want to hold this chapter back any more than I have to.**

 **This one's also a bit longer, so that's a tiny reward for your patience.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 ** _Ghosts of the Past_**

 ** _Chapter 11: Roots in the Dunes_**

* * *

 _It took me no time at all to realize that I still loved Sakura. Of course, I never questioned if I still did or not. But I figured that after all that time I would feel nothing about her. I thought my love would fade. Yet I was so, so wrong. My love never faded; that's what I know now._

 _What I also knew was that she still didn't love me. I couldn't blame her, or expect her to love me when I had abandoned her, never getting a chance of love with her in the first place._

* * *

 _ **— Itachi —**_

"Are you sure about this, Naruto?" Itachi asked, turning away from looking at all the clones in the dunes to turn a questioning look at him. Naruto was busy giving out directions to a copy. The fake Uchiha turned, the clone jogging away, and rose an eyebrow. "You did tell me not to throw around Hiraishin kunai carelessly." He grinned mischievously, "You just never said anything about burying them." Itachi shook his head. Sometimes, Naruto was more unpredictable than smart, and he had a growing feeling that that was one of his greatest weapons. No one would suspect to dig down several feet to find a kunai, especially since the wind carried the sand like phantoms across the dunes, covering and flattening any remaining signs of holes.

"That's not what I mean. Are you really prepared tp go through this?" Itachi asked, dead serious. Naruto avoided his eye, instead turning around to look at all the clones. Itachi could see the great sadness and reluctance on his face. _He doesn't want to kill anybody, Root or not, but he's willing to go through with it for the sake of every one of those rebels and every one of those Konoha citizens._

"I could help you, you know." Naruto immediately shook his head. "No, I need to do this. I have to shoulder this burden by myself. Heh...in a similar way, this must have been what you felt like before you, uh, got rid of your clan." Naruto looked uncomfortable bringing up the worst night of his life, and Itachi felt gratitude for his sensitivity, even if he didn't need it. "If i'm going to fight this war, then I'll hold every single death on my shoulders." There was an overwhelming sense of irony here, and Itachi could only sigh. _What a stubborn idiot,_ Itachi thought, looking at Naruto's face. _He doesn't want to budge, but that doesn't mean I have to stop trying to convince him how mad this is. What will convince him?_

Itachi sighed. "You don't have to shoulder every burden alone, you know? At least let me help you hold it up." Itachi looked uncertain for a moment but then pressed on. "That's what friends are for, right? Please, don't lose yourself in isolation. You understand more than anyone the feelings that come with it." Naruto's mouth set into a grim line. "I have to do it, Itachi," he said, firm in his conviction. "Have you ever killed anyone, Naruto?" Itachi queried, hoping to push him to give up this folly. Naruto shook his head in declination. "It's terrible," Itachi said, making sure to make his tone harsh. It would hit home better since killing _was_ harsh, and brutal. "It takes a part of you that you'll never get back. A piece of innocence, almost. Every time you kill, another piece is carved off, and when you've killed hundreds, you're left a hollow, bleak shell, so empty that the faces become blurred, always haunted by all those unrecognizable faces. I've never felt the same after my first kill, and slaughtering my clan made any chance of normalcy a snuffed out flame in the dark."

"I think I understand," said Naruto as he looked up at the cloudless sky, the sun shining in his saddened black eyes. "I still can't let you help." Itachi stifled a groan of irritation.

"After today, I will know if I can withstand killing," said Naruto as he turned his head, his face a somber austere. "If I can't carry the weight, then I have no place as Hokage. A Hokage has to be strong enough to sacrifice anything for their people." Itachi inclined his head, finding some truth in his words. A thought came to him then, and he jumped on it. "Your father was able to become Hokage because he had your mother." Naruto's body stiffened, and his face fell into confusion. "She helped him become the man he would become by helping shoulder his burdens. So don't think that you can do anything alone. Even your father couldn't do everything without someone's help."

Naruto face fell into stoicism and thought for a second, but then a wry smile turned the corners of his mouth into dimples. "Are you saying you want to marry me?" Itachi slapped a hand over his face, and Naruto burst out laughing, lightening the mood several shades just by his mischief. Naruto fell into chuckles, holding his stomach as he grinned at him, his eyes bright with cheer. Itachi, despite all his seriousness, smiled back. It was only small, but Naruto's eyes brightened even more because of it.

"Thank you," Naruto said, bowing his head and closing his eyes in appreciation. "But I'll have to decline your proposal. I already love someone, anyway." He chuckled, and Itachi snorted. Naruto put a hand on his shoulder, and Itachi didn't move away, knowing it would remove the meaning of the touch. "I need you to help the rebels. If I fail, I want you to stay with them, protect them, and then save Konoha." Naruto's smile turned wistful. "Tell everyone i'm sorry for leaving, too."

"Of course, no one can beat me, so don't get your hopes up," Naruto grinned, confidently optimistic, holding out a thumbs up with a wide, boyish grin.

Itachi smirked, "Gladly"

* * *

 _ **— Sakura**_ _ **—**_

The anxiety that had gripped her hours before was now a cold, dead, dreading stone in her stomach. Her feet dragged through the sand in dismay, filling her sandals and creating burrows behind her. Out front was Team 8, ahead of the army by a few dozen yards. Kiba was on Akamaru, bounding across the sand on the ninken's back. The hound sniffed at a desert shrub and then yapped off to get a whiff of a jutting sandstone rock. Shino was standing on top of a dune; his incests tiny black dots swarming and hovering around him like a tornado. Hinata was a little closer, the veins around her porcelain eyes bulging intensly as she looked around.

The army behind her was restless at their slow pace. Sakura could feel it in the air. They were eager to get out of this heat. Many had already fallen to dehydration and sunstroke, and she had been running back and forth from the front of the army to the back, close to exhaustion herself now.

"Aoooooooooooo!" Akamaru howled, his head pointed to the sky as he bayed. The dog stopped, his tail whipping around ecstatically, his tongue lolling from the side of his jowls as he panted. Sakura found the dog's actions more excited and friendly than hostile. "Shino!" Kiba yelled, his eyes wide and shocked. Shino, calm as ever, held up a hand. Kiba clapped his lips together, silencing himself, turning his head back to look at the distance. Shino turned back to the army; bugs frenzied around him. "There are silhouette's on the horizon." He informed, and a relieved murmur waved through the army.

Team 8's temporary Root Captain walked up the dune to look. He nodded, "Team, go and wait at the back of the host. You'll be called back up again when the situation is dealt with." Captain turned around. "Lets moves out!"

* * *

 _ **— Naruto —**_

The clones were lined up along the dune; each changed into a different man. There were probably twenty of them, and the curvature of the dune lined them up to look in the formation a hook. They all wore the same black cloaks, each with a hood up, their changed faces peering from the shadows. The cloaks billowed in the wind in one direction, the ends flapping like flags on a pole. The army—numbering in a hundred like the messenger said—were black dots on the horizon, their silhouettes blurred by heat waves.

He held a scabbard in both his hands, the nicked wood smooth in his palms despite the criss-crossing notches. The katana was a ornamented sword, given to him by Henzo, the Land of Hot Water samurai. "Kill those traitor's with my sword, young shinobi." The old man had said, handing him the sword with a hard, steel look in his eyes and a firm nod. The round guard, blade collar, and pommel were real gold, a black silk wrap around the handle with cut rubies in the spaces of the tsuka-ito. Two golden loops were set into the scabbard, a string of silk tied from one loop to the other to create a strap. Naruto let the sword fall to his side, waiting, cloak flapping.

He had a hundred yard circle lousy with Hiraishin kunai, each expertly placed to look like he was moving at a very fast speed. He had practiced a bit, making a clone watch his every move so he could critic. He had to add some flare to the act, using his legs and body to turn the way he was going, having to be conscious of not teleporting in mid-air. He felt pretty confident in his show, but his heart was heavy in his chest.

After today, he would be a killer. A real ninja...

He shook his head. _No time to be naive. Look where that got you three years ago._

"Boss, they've passed the line." One clone said, taking his katana hilt into his hand but not drawing, his eyes still looking in the distance. Every other clone did the same. Naruto held the scabbard in front of him, his thumb rubbing over the black stained wood as the fingers of his other hand wrapped around the hilt. He looked to his left and right, meeting each clone's eyes. All of their memories would be his by the end of the day, and he would have to relive this almost twenty times over. One of the faults in using this technique to kill.

In one swift motion, he pulled blade and scabbard away from each other, the sword squealing in glee as it came naked to the air, singing. The copies followed suit, their swords creating a ringing, uncoordinated song. He stabbed the gold chape of the scabbard into the sand, standing it up as the katana fell to his side, point almost touching the dune.

"Make sure no one escapes...A few of you linger on the edges of the circle."

Deciding they were close enough, he reached chakra out to the kunai in front of him, bending his knees and lunging forward. "Don't pop, or they'll know something's up." He warned them and teleported away. He made it look like he was running, hopping from kunai to kunai like he was pushing off the ground. His clones followed like wings on his back, fanned out several yards. The clones that had been on the curve of the hook spread out to the side to get behind the host.

He reached the army in a matter of seconds. They had spotted him from a distance, too, but they seemed unable to comprehend or combat his speed. Naruto stopped teleporting a few yards away from the front line of the army, crouching on his haunches, his cloak falling to cover his body and fan out in the sand. Half of his sword poked out of the fold of his cloak, and a samurai took a step forward in challenge, his eyes wide in the slits of his kabuto. Naruto stood, locking eyes with the man as he straightened his back, his sword held in a loose grip. The samurai charged, grabbing hold of his sword hilt as he screamed a battle cry. "Yaaaaaaaaa!"

Naruto didn't move into a stance. He kept his shoulders flacid and his legs and back straight, looking like he wasn't even fazed by the assaulting samurai. When the samurai got closer, his katana flashed from his scabbard and fanned into the air in a flat arc, the blade singing its own whistling song as it slashed at Naruto's neck. Movements shimmered, arm blurring upward, Naruto's sword gleamed in the sun as it cut straight through the blade—half of it spinning into the air and stabbing into the ground point first—and came to rest at the samurai's neck as he finished the upward motion, the blade even against the underside of his chin. The samurai stayed frozen in his stance, his hands and arms still positioned like he had finished his killing move, hands shaking on the handle of his katana.

Naruto readjusted his grip, fingers quivering. More samurai were charging, seeing the state of their comrade. His clones jumped into the host of one hundred, screams erupting. "I'm sorry." Naruto swiftly sliced to the side, the soft flesh of the samurai's neck splitting open easily by the belly of his blade. Continuing his momentum, Naruto spun around, his foot shooting out and kicking the crumbling corpse. The body flew like a rag doll, flipping and pounding into another samurai in a mess of armor head to stomach. Stomping his swinging foot into the ground, knees bending into a crouch, he faced them, sword held waist-low and out to his side. Seven samurai were on him, their swords above their heads for cleaving or held at their chins for thrusting. Naruto's cloak fluttered as he dipped forward, one sword sweeping just an inch from halving him at the shoulder, another flying over his back from trying to stab him in the side. He swept his sword out, parrying, dodging, and slashing open a thigh, spinning and cutting a wrist to a hanging mess, and planting a foot and pushing off it—a blade nicking a shallow cut onto his shoulder, making him grunt. His cloak swept to the side trying to keep up, and he teleported a few yards away.

The samurai screamed in surprised shock, looking at each other and around their feet, thinking someone might have got him. "Over here," Naruto said, giving a friendly wave. They all whirled around, looked at each other in uncertainty, then charged again, falling into a simple fanning maneuver. More samurai joined their attack. Four tried to flank him as ten came head on. Naruto sent his chakra into the air, spreading it out and changing it into wind chakra. When they were close enough to attack, he pounced into the air and front flipped over the group in front, four blades falling into the sand where he had stood, the others trying to slide to a halt. White curving blades slashed and sliced like they were the swords of ghosts, cutting the men into ribbons, coloring the sand bloody.

He winced when he heard the screams. Standing from his crouch, he turned around to look at the mutilated bodies. He frowned.

The clinking of armor and steps in the sand turned his attention away from the carnage. More samurai advanced to his right, but they too were cut to ribbons by his wind—not even coming close enough to extend their arms and touch him with the tips of their katana's. Suddenly, his senses shivered in warning, and Naruto rolled to the side, the sound and feeling of electricity prickling his skin. The lightning struck the ground, popped, and shot a twisting tower of glass upward. Naruto came from his roll meeting the stab of one Root Anbu by bending his torso to the side and letting it pass narrowly by his ribs. Stepping forward, he wrapped his arm around the shinobi's extended arm, pulling up and snapping the elbow in a brutal efficiency; the sword falling from the deadened hand. The man grunted in pain but did not cry out. Naruto extended forward and shouldered him to the ground, sending him sprawling at his feet. Turning, his sword met a downward slash that would've split his head into halves. He slid both of their blades from up in the air to down at the ground, the grinding creating sparks. He swung his sword in a fury up and to the side, pushing the other sword in a random direction, preparing to cut the man across the undefended chest. But, the faint shout of a Jutsu name and the air becoming laced with a new chakra took the forefront of his attention. His chakra sensory screeched at him to flee.

He turned his body and teleported out of harm's way. Watching what happened after caused his blood to flame up. The Anbu he had been fighting and the Anbu on the ground were both blown to bits by a Futon Jutsu. The cyclone cut a trenching scar in the sand, swirling up a dust cloud and raining flesh down onto the sand like sloppy rain. Naruto shook in anger, nails digging into the flesh of his palm of his clenched fist, knuckles white on the hand on the sword hilt. Neither the Futon Anbu or the group behind him looked disturbed by the scene. Instead, they charge in blurs, forcing him to retreat back. He didn't have time to count how many there were or stay angry.

Finally under enough pressure, his Sharingan flashed alive; blood eyes glowing from the shade of his hood like red stars. He squared his shoulders, ready, tense as he set his feet, sand dusting. The blurs became noticeably sluggish, every motion brutally obvious, outlines of every possible movement noted. They still moved quickly in reality, but his eyes told him everything. Naruto moved faster than he ever had before, his rage fuelling him to quickness. Using pure speed, he rushed into the attack, slicing and cutting with precise and easy movement, parrying and dodging every attack with moves like lazy wind. One by one, the Anbu fell under his sword until ten were dead.

Twenty more joined in, and he bounded across the sand to meet them. As he came close, several Anbu slapped their hands against the ground, shouting.

 _ **"Doton:** **Kakusareta iwa no yari** **(Earth Style: Hidden Rock Spear)!"**_

Sandstone erupted from the ground, their sharp points aiming to pin him between them. He hopped into the air, letting them collide together beneath. Using his wind, he cut the points into pebbles, then landed on the newly smoothed surface, sword flashing out to block dozens of kunai aimed to clutter his body. The kunai flipped away, gleaming, landing in the sand uselessly. Stepping forward, he slid down the side of one of the sandstone and hit the sand running full tilt. A lightning bolt that looked strangely like a dragon spun at him, jaws wide in a silent roar. He held out a hand, compressing the air in front of him like a vacuum and shooting it like a spinning bullet, creating visible air waves. The Futon swirled through the dragon, sending charges of electricity to spark off into the air like long, crooked fingers. Feeling heat, Naruto leaped to roll on his shoulder, two Katon attacks singeing the end of his cloak. The fire washed over the sand as he unfurled to his feet, meeting several attackers that had been rushing under the distraction of the Jutsu. He cut three of them to bits with his wind, met the sword of one, then jumped back into the air and threw a quick kunai that shattered the Anbu's mask and stabbed into his forehead. Landing with feet sliding, he spun around and pushed off the ground, teleporting to stand at the center of the group. He spun, his sword slashing into flesh; unhindered by armor, sword, and bone. An arm fell to the ground, a scalp full of hair flopped into the air, and several fingers nubs jutted into the sand all bent and bloody.

He pulled his katana from the gut of one, the fuller filled with blood that splattered in the air when he swung, the blade catching a cheek and cleaving through; the flesh, jaw, and teeth falling to join the other body parts. He parried, riposted, and stabbed an Anbu through the heart. Instead of pulling the blade out the same way it went in, he turned it flat and swiped to the right, the blade cutting through upper rib meat and bicep to meet the sword of another Anbu. Naruto teleported behind him, then lunged forward, thrusting through the Anbu's shoulder blade. The body fell as he pulled back his red-stained sword.

He stood in the carnage of burn marks, sandstone jutting from the dunes, and body parts. In the distance, he faintly noticed that none of his clones had popped, and they faired as well as he did, taking on dozens easily by teleporting all over, each having bodies fanned around them as more enemies tried to take them on.

He turned around, looking for more people to fight. His cloak was sopping wet, the black color now a grim red-brown. His hair and face were covered in a messy mixture of grime; sticky with oozing blood and sweat and sand. Droplets plopped from the ends of his hair and mask covered nose, falling to the ground to soak in. His Sharingan caught sight of people in the distance, unengaged from any of his clones. He tightened his hold on his sword and teleported, jumping from kunai to kunai.

 _I...feel...nothing..._

* * *

 _ **— Sakura —**_

She slid on her knees, the sand digging into her skin as she skidded up next to the downed samurai. Her hands tried to find a pulse, but her fore and middle finger couldn't find anything—her fumbling hands slick with blood. She stood and ran over to another, this one an Anbu. The sound of screams and war boomed in her ears. She kneeled down, noticing the signs of breathing. Moving quickly, her hands glowed a translucent green with healing chakra and covered the open wound on the man's shoulder. "There's no need to be afraid," she told him, her voice a low, soothing tone

A sudden blowing of wind made her hair slap her face, and another presence appeared on the other side of her in a black blur, their shadow looming over her as a cloak whipped out to the side from the momentum. Blood splattered on her cheek from the soaked cloak, and even more flew from the hem and rained to the ground. The silhouette had its knees bent, legs wide to brace their body. A sword slashed downward from above the silhouette. She jerked back—the tip narrowly missing her forehead—and landed on her butt, the sword cleaving the head off the Anbu, burying deep into the sand. Eye's wide, body frozen, her jade irises caught the glint of the sword as it flashed in the dark background of the billowing cloak, buried deep into the cleanly cut neck meat

The sword was lifted up again, and her fear and shock kept her frozen. Hearing another gleeful whistle split the air, she squished her eyes closed, shrinking away from the inevitable. Cold metal touched her skin, freezing, the wind from the attack continuing harmlessly by, shivering her hair lightly.

Then nothing happened.

She swallowed a gasp, shooting her eyes wide, looking up into the face of the man standing before her. She looked at his face and met his eyes. She was surprised to see a storm of different emotions in his visage. Surprise, anguish, guilt. All were present, and he looked in a dazed surprise, his mouth gaping behind the fabric of his mask. She was even more surprised to see the pattern of the Sharingan in his pupil. "Sakura...chan..." He murmured, life returning to his face. Sakura did gasp then, her fingers digging into the hot sand. She met his eyes, trying to find recognition. Jade reflected Red like a gemstone mirror. She did not know this man.

The edge of the sword—having just stopped short of killing her—had nicked into her throat and jaw, drawing a small rivulet of blood that flowed down to the indent of her collar bone. He pulled it away.

"How do yo—"

"—Hinata, wait!" Kiba's voice shouted, cutting her off, and a sudden shadow loomed onto the side of the man's surprised face, a feminine yell shouting out behind and above her. "Hiiiyyyyaaaa!" Hinata's came into view above; her arm pulled back for an open palmed strike. Hinata shot her hand forward to strike at a chakra point, but the man—moving almost lazily—turned his shoulder away, Hinata flying past to slide in the sand behind him, the girl's black hair falling from fanning out behind her. Hinata didn't deter, whirling around, attacking with another open palmed strike aimed for the middle of his back. Without looking, he ducked under the strike, letting her palm and chakra whoosh over his head uselessly, shaking his unkempt black hair a bit. Hinata let out a small gasp, and Sakura's eyes widened. He was right underneath Hinata. A perfect position to kill her.

To her's and Hinata's surprise, he simply disappeared in a black blur, appearing a few feet away from them, still crouched with the blunt edge of his sword leaned against his shoulder and his forearm against his knee, hand dangling. Adding more to her confusion, he was looking at her face intently, his head tilted. Somehow, that made her blush. She stood as she cursed her foolishness. "How do you know my name?" She gratted, proud of the threatening steadiness in her voice. His lips thinned underneath his mask and his eyebrows dipped in anger. He looked ready to curse, but instead he turned his attention to her male teammates, who stood on a dune to the side, both looking at the man with expressions of awe. Shino was whispering something to Kiba, and the Inuzuka was nodding with a reluctant frown, Akamaru whining below him, his tail wagging in happiness, but his ears dropped in sadness. The man stood, "Who wouldn't know the name of Tsunade Senju's apprentice...?" He said, his eyes bright with something like thanks to Kiba and Shino as he turned his head to look at her again. His words and look to her teammates only added to her confusion.

Kiba hopped from his ninken, ruffling the hair behind his floppy ears. "We should get out of here, guys." He said to Sakura and Hinata, who both were now facing the man. Shino adjusted his glasses with his fore and middle finger, "Agreed." Sakura glared at the two. "Do you see the destruction he's caused? Look at all the bodies!" Kiba looked around guiltily with a sad gaze and confused frown on his face. the Inuzuka said nothing.

"Do you want to join them, Sakura-san?" Shino queried.

Sakura shook in rage at the bug user's question. Of course she didn't want to die! But what else could she do? Hinata slid into her fighting stance next to her. "He is way out of our league, Sakura-san." The Hyuuga heiress said quietly, her pales eyes glancing nervously. The man stayed crouched, his eyes looking at all the bodies littering the sand dunes, completely uncaring of her as a threat. That only set the boiling of her anger up another notch. There was sadness in his orbs, and he tilted his head to peer at her when he seemed to feel her gaze.

"Bullshit!" She hotheadedly jumped into action, charging, not caring about the rules of being a medic, and not caring about her curiosity as to what this man was thinking. Coming close, she hopped into the air; fist cocked back, aimed to pummel his face into a bloody mess. He looked up at her, tomoe spinning around the thick black circle hovering around his pupil. Her fist bulled forward in a blur. He was faster. The Sharingan user disappeared in a black blur, her fist sinking into the sand, creating shock waves that echoed through the ground. Sand moved up and down like something slid under it, flowing like waves in the ocean. Sakura dislodged her hand, spinning around to see Hinata striking at the man with her palms. _His distance to use that speed is limited, but he's so hard to hit even when he isn't using it._ Any attack Hinata threw was dodged or pushed away, his hands flashing out and hitting her in the forearms to misdirect her strikes.

Sakura flanked him, sliding into the sand on her hip and coming underneath his guard, her fist shooting to smash his knee into shards. He jumped—not even looking—lifting both of his legs into the air above her head as she came directly underneath, dodging but open to attack by Hinata. Hinata shot a flat spear-like palm at his heart. Sakura slid to the other side of him and turned around onto her stomach, watching the tip of all five of Hinata's finger's dig into the mans chest. The attack sent him flying, chakra bursting out into the air in a stream, the spiritual energy a mixture of both Hinata's and his. He landed on his back, digging a small trench in the ground as he slid, stopping motionless.

He laid there for several moments and Hinata panted, bending down to put her hands on her knees. Sakura stood, smirking in victory. "Good job, Hin—"

"Ahahahahaaaaa!" He abruptly started laughing, loudly. He put a hand over his eyes, drolling on. Sakura went rigid, glowering in anger as her finger nails dug into her palm through the fabric of her gloves. Strangly, the laugh's weren't evil, but bright, and joyful. He sat up, his chest lifting and falling with his laugh, unharmed. He grinned in something she would call pride. "H-how!" Hinata sputtered, taking a step back. "Don't worry yourself over it, princess." The man said, gathering his sword and pushing off the ground with a hand. "I've fought Hyuuga before, so you could say I have some experience in dealing with those palm attacks." He suddenly jolted, his head turning to look off in the distance. Sakura followed the line of his eyes, seeing the fine grey cloud in the middle of a group of Anbu. _A...Kage Bunshin...?_

"I never knew that the rebels would have such a fearsome man in their ranks." Said the voice of her Root captain, causing Sakura to turn to her right and see him step lightly into the sand from a chakra enhanced jump. He looked completely unhurt, and at least three dozen Anbu jumped to the ground behind him. For some reason, the captain looked powerful now—like all this time he had been hiding away his strength. The man gave the Captain a grim once over. "And who would you be?" He seemed to feel the power emanating from the Root Anbu, too.

"I lost my name years ago...But what I would like to know is who you are. A Uchiha?" Slowly, the Root Captain pulled his tanto free of its scabbard on his back, spinning it into a reverse grip, the movement skillful. He waited for an answer.

"Naro, Naro Uchiha."

 _So, he is an Uchiha..._ Sakura thought, her fists still tight balls in her gloves. Naro's eyes darting to look at another fine cloud of grey. _Are they all his?_ The way he reacted meant he was the original. He had to be. _I have to kill him...That should save everyone._ She glanced at Hinata, who was positioned in the middle of all the Anbu's. "Fall back, Sakura. That's an order." The Captian said, walking a few steps in front of the group. Sakura glared at his back, contemplated, then stomped away, grabbing Hinata's arm to pull her along. _I have to wait for a chance..._

She met up with Kiba and Shino on a dune overlooking the dip that Naro and the Anbu were in. "Thanks for the help, guys!" She spat, holding up a threatening fist. "Sakura, you don't understand! That's—" Shino suddenly held his arm out in front of Kiba's face. "—Not important anymore." He interrupted, setting Sakura with what she guessed was a stern look. You never knew with Aburame. "We need to do as our captain says and stay out of the fighting." Sakura huffed, crossing her arms and turning back to watch the battle.

Naro and the Captian stood across from each other. Squad 8's temporary captain slid into a Kenjutsu stance, Naro Uchiha following into his own. The two stood stone still. A wind picked up a cloud of dust and dragged it between them. Simultaneously they both sprang forward, breaking through the dust cloud and meeting blades, creating sparks. What happened next could only be described in a single word: _Fast!_

The both moved in black blurs. She could barely tell them apart. The only way she could were because of Naro's eyes. The Sharingan created streaks of red paint on the black canvas of his cloak. He moved so fast that the light couldn't keep up, red ethereal lines flowing and tracing the sides of his face like flowing energy. It seemed to her that in overall speed, Naro was faster with his jumps, but in consistency, the Captain had the advantage. She could tell just by glimpses that Naro was only fast enough to keep up when he jumped, and that was limited. The Captain was fast all the time.

"Gah!" Naro flew into the air from a kick to the gut, his mouth spitting up blood even through his mask. His sword spun into the air, scything into the sand point first. His body created a puff of dust when he landed, the impact making him wheeze and gasp to fill the air that had been knocked out of him. He rolled over onto his side, clutching at his stomach, blood leaking from the front of his half-mask to stain the sand and stick it to the fabric. She was close enough to hear what was said next. " _How_..." Naro coughed, his breathing bubbly.

"I was an experiment for Orochimaru and Danzo. They were trying to recreate the Jinton(Swift Release). Instead, they got my bastardized version of it." The Anbu spun his tanto into a forward grip as Naro turned onto his back. "I can tell you're inexperienced with both your speed and eyes." He shook his head in disappointment. "But don't worry about that, Danzo-sama will put those eyes to good use. It's just a shame to let such speed go to waste."

Captain lunged forward, his sword striking out. Naro rolled with his arms against his chest like a barrel, the blade digging into the sand where his chest hand been. He stopped flat on his stomach, then pulled his knees to his chest and pushed off the ground with both hands and feet, amazingly back flipping to stand as a second stab slid by. Feet digging in, fist flashing, Naro docked the lunged forward Captain on the side of the head with a sickening amount of force, crackings and chippings of porcelain flying into the air as the Captain spun and stumbled away, falling to his knees, dazed.

Naro palmed his right hand with his left and cracked the knuckles on the right, then shook his wrist around. "Heh! You can't beat the fastest man in the world!" Naro exclaimed, smirk cocky. Captain stood, wiping the bloody lip on the now exposed side of his face. Half of his eye was showing, a chip of mask falling away. It was blue. He looked at the blood on the back of his hand, then chuckled, the side of his mouth turning upward. "This is starting to get funner, Uchiha."

Just then Naro's clones appeared in black blurs, fanned out behind him. One picked up his katana and spun it back to him. He caught the hilt with one hand, blade reversed. His other hand still held his stomach. Blood dripped from his chin. He lowered his arm as all of the other Root Anbu unsheathed their swords. "I disagree." Naro pounced forward, slashing his sword in front of him, the flat edge of the blade flush with his forearm. The Anbu and Clones jumped to action, too. The belly of the blade met the tip of Captain's tanto when he set up a hasty defense, Naro's torso twisting. Using his momentum and position, Naro pushed forward to force the Captain's sword-arm across and against his chest, his leg simultaneously whirling up in a spin-kick to connect with the Captain's exposed cheek. The Captain spun, set his feet, then whirled around again, stabbing low. Naro slapped his forearm to direct the attack away, his other hand coming forward to connect the katana hilt with the center of the Captain's mask. Head jolting back, feet wobbling, the Captain fell back into the sand on his butt, mask shattered like a mirror.

He was a plain-faced man, with a pointed jawline and jutting cheekbones. His nose was crooked and broken from Naro's hilt-attack, blood dribbling down onto his top lip. A motley bruise of purple and blue painted the side of his face from both the kick and punch. His black hair was sticky with enough sweat to mat the locks to his forehead. Glaring out from under his bangs were sharp, narrow blue eyes.

Naro spun his sword hilt flat against his palm, putting the gleaming point underneath the Captain's chin. "Your name?" The Uchiha growled, blade tip digging. "I used to be called Yashu." Yashu met Naro's eyes, still defiant. "And the Demon masked Anbu. Is he still alive?" Naro pressed. "I don't see how that—" The katana cut deeper, sucking out blood. "Yeah, he lives." Naro nodded, "Good." He slowly slid the sword forward, the blade sliding through his neck until several inches came out the other side, blooding plopping off the tip. Yashu swallowed, blood bubbling around the sword and on his lips as he gurgled. The two never broke eye contact.

Naro put his foot against Yashu's chest, and then push him onto his back, pulling his sword free. "I told you that you can't beat the fastest man in the world."

Sakura stood, shocked, her body flaccid and eye's wide. "We have to get out of here, Sakura!" Kiba grabbed onto her shoulder, tugging. She pulled away and slapped his hand down. "We have to do something!" She snarled, running down the slope of the sand dune.

Crossing the battlefield, eyes focused on one thing, she pumped her fist with more chakra than she had ever before. Coming close, she sprung into the air, fist back behind her head and heavy with visible chakra. Naro turned his head, eyes wide. But something was wrong. His eyes weren't on her, but on something to her side. Turning her head, her eyes caught something rocky and fast.

 _ **"Doton: Hasai Surabu (Earth Style: Crushing Slab)!"**_ She heard. _ **  
**_

Then all was pain and darkness.

* * *

 _ **— Naruto**_ _ **—**_

 _So the demon lives..._ He thought, looking down at Yashu's body, blood streaming from the gaping wound. _I just have to_ —He suddenly felt something moving towards him, something fast. At the same time, the earth rumbled, sand shifted, and chakra saturated the air. He turned, Sharingan looking at Sakura as she leaped into the air, her fist a blue ball of chakra. But what took up his concern was the large, hulking amount of sandstone pushing its way out of the ground to tower over even the jumping pinkette. The wall was huge and wide, bulling forward at an unbelievable speed, headed right for Sakura!

Sakura followed his eyes, and he jumped forward, but the slab was too fast. Sakura got blindsided by a jutting piece of the stone wall, the stone hitting her head brutally, her body immediately rag-dollish as she was thrown into the air even further. At the same time, he was also hit to the side but still had the momentum to fly forward and wrap his arms around the unconscious girl, catching her as they both flew up and away. He wrapped his whole body around her as they spun through the air. She felt tiny in his arms.

He grunted when he landed on his back and slid, his eyes squeezed closed and Sakura laid out on his chest. He still had his arms protectively on her back. The roar of the wall was still coming, and he looked up, the slab coming closer and closer, splitting the sand apart like a boat in the waves. _I have no choice!_ He reached out and pulled on a kunai, teleporting just when the wall reached him.

He laid panting, safe and out of the way as the wall slid to a stop dozens of yards away. He looked down his nose at Sakura's face. Blood had dyed the side of her head red, and the crimson trailed down her forehead, cheek, and chin. He sat up, her head lolling, and braced her with his hand on the back of her head, careful not to hurt her.

Once she was on her back he hovered his cheek above her lips and nose, feeling the tiny caresses of her soft exhales. Ignoring the sounds of battle around him, he tore the hem of his cloak into strips, wrapping her head, the fabric soaking through moments after. He laid the make-shift bandages on heavily on the wounded side. He would've laughed at how her hair poked out at odd angles from his wrapping, but he felt like that would seem insane. _She's gotten so pretty..._ He rambled to himself, distracting himself from his panic. His fingers were shaking when he touched her cheek. She was sweaty and dirty, bleeding, but still the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.

"Boss!" Naruto looked up at the approaching clone. Behind the copy, he could see the remnants of the battle. The clones were cutting down the remaining Anbu swiftly, only two being popped. He flinched at the memories but looked at the clone in front of him. "What?" He asked, glancing at Sakura's face in worry. He needed to get her head checked out for a concussion. "What about your friends?" The copy held out an arm and pointed at the retreating figures of Team 8. Hinata was struggling against Kiba, but they were steadily disappearing. He sighed. They were trusting him with Sakura's safety.

 _Don't worry, Shino, Kiba, i'll protect her..._

He picked up Sakura under her legs and back, the good side of her head rolling on his shoulder, body tight against his. Her breath tickled his neck, and he had to keep himself from blushing. "Do you really expect me to kill my friends?" The clone shrugged, "No, but you could take them captive and convince them onto our side." He walked past the clone, "They already are."

He wondered what Itachi would say about him bringing back a girl in his arms.

* * *

 _ **A review would be much appreciated.**_

 ** _Peace!_**


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